Alzheimer's Association
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What It Is
The Alzheimer's Association is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that supports people living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as well as their families and caregivers. The organization provides a 24/7 helpline, online tools, caregiver education and support groups, and advocacy for research and policy change. The association serves more than 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's and nearly 13 million caregivers. It has local chapters operating in all 50 states.
The 24/7 Helpline
The centerpiece of the Alzheimer's Association is its free 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900. The helpline is staffed by dementia experts who provide confidential support, crisis assistance, and local resources. The line operates in over 200 languages. If you are a caregiver experiencing stress or crisis, someone living with Alzheimer's seeking information, or a family member concerned about memory or behavior changes in an older relative, you can call at any time of day or night. The site emphasizes that callers have reported feeling amazed at how patient, helpful, and supportive the helpline staff are.
Online Tools, Resources, and Education
The organization provides free online tools for people living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. These include educational resources about understanding Alzheimer's disease and dementia, an interactive online "brain tour" that explains how brain changes affect memory and thinking, free webinars called "ALZ Talks" on various dementia and caregiving topics (both upcoming and on-demand), information about treatment options, and resources specifically for living with a diagnosis or for caregiving.
The site offers guidance on 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's, information on how Alzheimer's is diagnosed, explanations of the disease's stages, and resources on navigating a diagnosis. The organization also provides materials in Spanish (Recursos en español) as well as English.
Caregiver Support and Community Connection
The Alzheimer's Association offers caregiver support groups where people caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia can connect with others in similar situations. The organization also helps people connect with their local chapter for additional support and volunteer opportunities.
Tribute pages allow people to honor someone living with dementia or memorialize someone who has passed. Money donated through tribute pages goes toward research and advancing treatments.
Research Support
The Alzheimer's Association is currently investing more than $450 million in over 1200 active dementia research projects across 59 countries spanning six continents. The organization's advocacy has helped increase federal funding for Alzheimer's and dementia research to $3.9 billion annually, representing more than a seven-fold increase in the last decade.
In 2024, the association provided care and support services more than 10 million times through care consultations, support groups, education programs, and other initiatives.
What Services Are Free
The helpline is free. Educational webinars, resources, online tools, the brain tour, and guides on warning signs, diagnosis, and treatment are all free. Caregiver support groups are free. Information in multiple languages is free. Crisis assistance is free. The organization funds its services through donations, not through fees charged to people seeking help.
Who the Association Serves
The Alzheimer's Association serves people living with Alzheimer's disease and all other forms of dementia, their family members, and their caregivers. The organization specifically works to serve communities that face health disparities and inequities. The site notes that the association works with 30 or more national organizations and over 900 local organizations to address health inequities in underserved and underrepresented communities. The organization partnered with tribes and tribal organizations and has resources for different groups impacted by dementia.
The site provides specific resources for different populations: it discusses how Alzheimer's impacts different groups, offers translations and culturally appropriate support, and works to address barriers to care that BIPOC communities face.
Limitations and What It Does Not Do
The Alzheimer's Association is not a medical provider. It does not provide medical treatment, diagnoses, or one-on-one therapy. The helpline offers information, support, and local resources but is not a replacement for medical care. If you need to be evaluated for memory loss or cognitive changes, you will need to see a doctor.
The association does not directly fund medical treatment. While it invests in research, it does not pay for individual treatments or medications for people with Alzheimer's or dementia.
The support groups and resources are peer and educational support, not professional mental health treatment. If someone needs therapy or psychiatric care in addition to peer support and education, they will need to seek that separately.
What Happens if You Call
When you call the 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900, you reach a dementia expert. You can expect to get confidential support (what you share is not reported or publicized), crisis assistance if you are in an immediate crisis, information about local resources and support in your area, and help in over 200 languages. The caller described on the site said they called three times and felt amazed each time at how patient, helpful, supportive, and devoted the staff were.
Who This Fits
This resource works for anyone in the United States (the organization has presence in all 50 states) who is affected by Alzheimer's or other dementia: people living with the disease, family members noticing changes in a relative, caregivers managing someone else's care, adult children suddenly in a caregiving role, spouses caring for a partner, and anyone who has lost someone to dementia and is grieving.
It fits people seeking information about warning signs or diagnosis. If you are worried about memory or thinking changes in yourself or a loved one, the association's guides and the 24/7 helpline can help you understand what might be happening and what to do next.
It works for caregivers in crisis or under stress. Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia is exhausting, and the helpline is available anytime you need to talk to someone who understands.
It does not replace medical care. If you need to be diagnosed or treated, you still need a doctor. The association's resources supplement medical care, not substitute for it.
It does not work for people outside the United States (the organization operates US chapters only) or for people without access to a phone to reach the 24/7 helpline.