Alzheimer's Awareness FAQ
What is the Alzheimer's Awareness campaign?
Since 2019, the Ad Council and the Alzheimer’s Association have teamed up on the national Alzheimer’s Awareness early detection campaign. This effort seeks to educate close family members, those typically first to notice changes in their loved one’s behavior, on the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias and how they're different from normal signs of aging, and the critical benefits of early detection, including better access to care, support, and treatment options.. Then, encourage them to have a conversation about the disease with their loved ones, armed with the power of knowledge and understanding.
Who is the Alzheimer's Awareness campaign's target audience?
Primary – Pre-Care Partners (Adults 35-54 with a parent, spouse, or loved one 55 and older)
Secondary – Those at risk for developing Alzheimer’s (individuals 55+)
What are the Alzheimer's Awareness campaign objectives?
Educate Pre-Care Partners on the differences between signs of Alzheimer’s and typical age-related changes, and the benefits of an early diagnosis. Then, encourage them to have a conversation about the disease with their loved one.
How do I get copies and access the public service announcements for the campaign?
All PSAs are available for preview and can be accessed by media supporters on our site.
To download our PSAs, you will be required to sign up for assets here and create a new username and password. You can browse and preview our PSAs by using our enhanced search functionality, including faceted search with new filter options. You can search by "Campaign", "Asset" and/or "Media Type." You can also use the advanced search or keyword search for more options. Once you find the PSAs you are interested in and you are ready to download you will be required to sign in using your username and password.
AdCouncil.org Features Include:
- TV, Radio, Online/Mobile, Print & Out Of Home formats available - including broadcast quality HD + SD TV spots
- Enhanced search functionality, including faceted search with new filter options
- Cart feature with options to download PSAs from cart, email PSAs from cart, or save PSAs to your FTP server
Once you access these files, you can use them for educational purposes or in donated media space and time. We would appreciate your help in encouraging media stations or websites to donate space for these ads. To help you with that process, we have some support materials available in the Media Outreach section. Please note: expired PSAs are NOT available for broadcast.
What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.
What is the prevalence of Alzheimer's?
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, which is the sixth-leading cause of death among people 65 and older. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that the lifetime risk for Alzheimer’s or dementia at age 45 is approximately 1 in 5 (20%) for women and 1 in 10 (10%) for men.
What are some early warning signs of Alzheimer’s?
Early warning signs could be having trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. Any time you see a loved one struggling with familiar tasks or frequently forgetting important dates or names, it may be a sign for you to have a conversation. Learn all 10 early signs here.
What are the benefits of early detection?
Early detection and diagnosis offer the best opportunity for care management and treatment. It also provides diagnosed individuals and their caregivers more time to plan for the future, adopt lifestyle changes that may help slow disease progression, and participate in clinical trials and live with a higher quality of life, for as long as possible. Available treatments that can slow progression of the disease are only available to individuals in the early stages of the disease – making early detection and diagnosis critically important.
What is happening in the Alzheimer’s Treatment Space?
There is exciting progress in Alzheimer’s and dementia research. For the first time, new treatments are available that may be able to slow the progression of the disease in a meaningful way for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's, making early diagnosis especially critical. New early diagnostic blood tests are also emerging. It is important for families to learn as much as possible about which treatments are available and to talk about these options with their loved one's doctor or healthcare provider. Visit alz.org/navigatingtreatment for current information.
What impact is the Alzheimer's Awareness campaign having?
Since launch in June of 2019, the campaign has garnered over $160 million in donated media and 7.9 billion impressions. The campaign has driven over 6.5 million visits to 10signs.org, where people have learned the 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer’s.
How can I get involved with the Alzheimer's Awareness campaign?
There are many ways to get involved. This Alzheimer’s Awareness Toolkit includes helpful information on how to spread the word for this campaign. Additionally, sharing messages and social media content about Alzheimer’s on your channels is an easy and quick way to lend your support. For ideas on what to post, view our Social Toolkit. For more information on how to get involved with the Alzheimer's Association, please visit alz.org .
How can I learn more?
Learn more about the 10 early warning signs at 10signs.org. There you can learn what changes to look out for in a loved one, find resources for having these conversations, and a discussion guide for use with healthcare providers, along with many other resources.
If you need immediate assistance, you can call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 helpline at 800.272.3900.