Hello and welcome to Forum 360 with a global outlook and local view.

I'm Ardith Keck, your host.

Our program deals with the disease we hope you never have.

But it's likely you will have someone in your family or friends with Alzheimer's disease, a dreaded disease, because it robs your brain of its normal functions.

Here with me to talk more about Alzheimer's disease is Seana Dailey, senior development director for the Alzheimer's Association of Northeast Ohio.

She has more than 16 years of experience in fundraising and community engagement, including 11 years with the organization.

Seana, help us understand what Alzheimer's disease is.

- Sure.

So Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disease and it causes cognitive impairment, memory loss and behavior changes.

So it is the most prevalent type of dementia and it accounts for about 60 to 80% of all cases.

And I will say that if someone has some concerns, a great place to start is our website, it's ALZ.org.

And we have some really amazing resources there, including knowing the ten warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.

So it really gets into some of those things You might want to be on the lookout for.

And it really isn't just, you know, misplacing your car keys it is things that disrupt your day to day life.

So it gets a little bit more into those details.

- So it is not dementia, but it seems like it.

- So we really think of dementia as the umbrella term.

It is the series of symptoms that I talked about that cognitive function, memory loss, behavior changes.

And dementia is a syndrome.

But there are many different types of dementia, just Alzheimer's being the most common form of dementia.

So there's also Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, just to name a few.

- Okay.

Are there many Americans with Alzheimer's?

- Yes.

Unfortunately, in 2025, there's an estimated 7.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease.

Yeah, and that's according to our annual Facts and Figures report that we released.

And about more than double that are acting as caregivers for a loved one or a friend or family member with Alzheimer's disease, so the impact is really quite vast.

- I’ll say.

Are men or women more likely to have Alzheimer's?

- So women are two thirds more likely to have Alzheimer's disease.

And there's still more research that needs to be done as to why, certainly there may be some social and biological reasons.

But the most common belief is that because women live longer than men typically, and age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's.

I will also just add briefly, sorry, that women are more likely to be caregivers for someone with Alzheimer's as well, so it's really impacting them from multiple different angles.

- Yes.

Does race make a difference?

- Yeah so, health equity is a really big piece of the work that we do at the Alzheimer's Association.

It's really important because Hispanic Americans are about one and a half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than white Americans.

And Black and African Americans are about twice as likely to develop.

Again, more research is being done as to why, but again, looking at that lifestyle and some biological factors.

- Wow.

How is it diagnosed?

- There's no one single test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

So it's really working with our neurologist or geriatrician.

And they'll provide multiple tasks.

So they'll do a cognitive assessment.

They'll look at your physical health.

They’ll look at your medical history, family history.

All of these things will make up how they look at that and come to that diagnosis.

Now we also have some biomarker testing that we can do.

So MRIs, PET scans, and then most recently the FDA approved a blood test for Alzheimer's disease.

So again, it's never going to be just that one test, at least not yet.

It's really going to be looking at multiple tests and then figuring out that diagnosis.

- Okay.

Does... Are there benefits to early detection?

- Absolutely.

So like most diseases, early detection is key and it's really something that we're trying to get out into the community and educate about.

And the reason behind that is one, that there's some medications now that can help in the earlier stages of dementia and I know we'll talk a little bit more about those later.

But the other piece too is lifestyle interventions and incorporating some of those into your routine can help.

And then just being a part of the plan before, you know, while you still can with your family and friends, talking through your finances, talking through that care, talking through what you want that to look like as the disease progresses.

- One of the problems with Alzheimer's, of course, is that at some point the family is not... Closest family is not recognized by the patient and the early detection, but maybe make a difference with that.

As the years go by and our population is aging, are we expecting it to get worse?

- Yeah, we've often heard them say that we’re looking at tsunami of Alzheimer's disease, you know, especially with the baby boomers getting to that at risk age.

So anyone that gets diagnosed at 65 or later is, Alzheimer's is considered normal Alzheimer's as part of aging and that being the largest risk factor.

But anyone that gets diagnosed before that is younger onset Alzheimer's.

So we really look at it two different ways.

But as I mentioned before, age being the greatest risk factor, there's a lot of concern right now just because of the age of our population.

- Yeah.

And is it hereditary?

- So it can, you know, it can play a role in it.

You shouldn't just think that because a loved one has Alzheimer's disease that you're automatically going to get it by any means, but it can increase your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.

So that's again why we really push these lifestyle interventions and really following our healthy habits for the brain, all of which again can be found on our website.

But we do know through more recent studies that our lifestyle can play such an important role even when there are some of those risk factors like, family history.

- Is there anything a person can do to avoid getting it?

- So I wouldn't say that you can, you know, 100% avoid getting Alzheimer's disease.

But as I just mentioned, some of those lifestyle interventions.

We just wrapped in July, we reported out on the U.S.

Poynter study, and it's the largest lifestyle intervention study of its kind that took place in the United States, took place in five different sites.

And we wanted to really make sure that we had diverse participants in the study so that could really capture what the U.S.

culture is and the people living in the U.S.

so we could really dig into what are the different lifestyles and how can we change some of those and hopefully lessen our risk for Alzheimer's disease.

So everyone that was in the study was 65 or older, and they had other risk factors as well.

And then they were given some different lifestyle choices.

So exercise and stretching and diet and different things that they could do.

And one of the groups was a little bit more controlled.

So they had a lot more support along the way.

And one of the groups wasn't as controlled, but they still incorporated these.

And we found that over the course of time that the age of the brain, the cognition, it was about two years younger than it was before the study.

So they really were able to change the trajectory of their brain health by doing these lifestyle interventions.

So more and more, now that we have this, we really want to get that information out in the community.

As I mentioned, we have our ten healthy habits for the brain.

All that information is available on our website.

And just different things, social engagement, don't smoke, exercise.

Sleep is such an important piece for our health across the board.

I mean, these are things that we already know, you know, especially how they relate to other diseases.

I'll also add what's good for the heart is good for the brain.

So controlling your blood pressure is an important piece of that too.

So there are things that we can absolutely be doing today to help our future selves and our brain health.

- Okay.

What's the latest on research?

- So, right now there are two FDA approved drugs, Leqembi and Kisunla.

And both of those are for people in the early stages of the disease.

And they can actually, they actually target the underlying biology of Alzheimer's, so they can slow the progression of the disease for people.

It's not a cure, but it can give people more time.

We have some really amazing volunteers right now within the Alzheimer’s Association, who are on these medications, and they are having more time to spend with their families, to travel, to do the things that they love, to hike, to fish, to do these things and live their lives and live well with Alzheimer's disease.

And that's something that a few years ago we could never even have imagined.

And today people are doing that.

And it’s just, you know, the tip of the iceberg, the pipeline right now with Alzheimer's research and studies is so diverse and there's so many things that we're going to be hearing in the next couple of years that I really think is going to change the trajectory of how we treat this disease, how important prevention is going to become in this disease.

So I think we're going to learn a lot over the next couple of years.

- I think I have an uncle who is part of that study.

- Really?

- I think.

Is there anything happening in state and federal legislation?

- So, the Alzheimer's Association has a whole advocacy side of the work that we do.

We have a sister organization called AIM, it’s the Alzheimer's Impact Movement.

And we're really involved at both the state and federal levels for, you know, the different bills and things and trying to really make sure that our legislators are aware of the importance of this disease.

We always talk about it as purple, we’re not blue we’re not red, we’re purple.

We really reach across the aisle, and we've been really lucky to have a lot of bipartisan support over the years.

So every April we go down to the state and we have different priorities, and we bring a bunch of volunteers, and they just tell their story and talk about why this is such an important cause.

So each year there might be a different priority.

A couple of years ago, we had House Bill 43, trying to ensure that our first responders had additional training when it came to working with people with dementia.

And, you know, there's different respite line items that we work towards.

Federally, most recently, it was ensuring that some of these drugs that we talked about earlier are covered by Medicare.

And that was a big push that we did a couple of years ago.

And there's going to be definitely be more to come.

You know, we're working on getting these blood tests more broadly covered.

So more to come on what our priorities will be, but yes, we are very involved on the legislative side of things as well.

- Okay.

Well, I want to reintroduce our guest, who is Seana Dailey, senior development director for the Alzheimer's Association of Northeast Ohio, advancing fundraising and community partnerships to support local families and accelerate critical research.

She has more than 16 years of experience in fundraising and community engagement, including 11 years with the Alzheimer's Association.

Okay.

What about local services for families?

So our local services are so important because there's so many families that are going through this today.

And we want to make sure that we're here for as many of them as possible.

That’s why I’m so happy to be here with you today, because the more we can spread that awareness that we're here and all of our services are free, the more people we can reach.

So some of the services that we provide, we have education that we provide to families, to clinicians, talking anput recognizing those ten warning signs, how to better communicate with a loved one who might be going through it, things like that.

We also have support groups, which can just be a lifeline for families going through this.

We have early stage programing for people who have been recently diagnosed with the disease, again, helping them create that plan and really work through that diagnosis and how to live well with Alzheimer's in the early stages of the disease.

We have our 24/7 helpline.

So it's available, you know, holidays, in the middle of the night when something happens, you know, you might be in crisis mode and you just need that extra help.

It's master level clinicians that are going to answer that phone and they're going to support you and walk you through whatever it is you're going through.

Sometimes you just need to talk to someone.

You feel like you can't call that friend again, or you just need someone who can listen and understand what you're going through and they're there for you for that.

And then they can reconnect you back to the local services that we offer.

And something else that we offer that I think is really special is our care coaching.

So it’s that 1 on 1 or 1 on few, working with our local social worker and families, bringing them together, really creating that plan, helping them understand what to expect on that journey.

And then reevaluating as time goes on because this journey isn't the same for everyone, and it can change and it can change quickly.

So really being there for them through that time and we often see too, you know, there's family that might live on the other side of the country and not really understand what's going on, because they're not here to see it every day.

So sort of bringing them together and being that mediator to really think through what that plan needs to be.

- Okay.

Generally what ages are affected?

- So the greatest risk factor is age and typically it's 65 and older that we see most cases of Alzheimer's disease.

There is younger onset that can come at a much earlier age, but it is not as likely.

So usually that 65 and older mark is what we look at.

- Okay.

So there is early onset?

- There is early onset.

You know, you'll see people in their 40s and 50s that get diagnosed with the disease and it's really sad.

We had our mission moment at our gala last year was a family who is going through it.

The gentleman was in his 50s, and his 13 year old daughter was there with him, you know, so it's sad to see these younger families going through it.

It's sad at any age.

But when you see those younger families, it's not I think what the general public expects when they think Alzheimer's disease, I think they typically think of it as an older person's disease but it's not always the case.

- Grandma or grandpa.

- Yeah.

- Is there adequate training for survivors— caregivers and health workers?

- Yeah.

I mean, it is a big piece of the work that we do.

We really want to make sure that people have that, that there's a standard for care and the way that, that facilities and families even interact and understand.

Because if you haven't gone through this and you don't live it, you don't know.

And there's so many twists and turns with this disease.

So that's a big part of the education that we provide.

We do it for families and we do it for clinicians and the medical field.

- Is there abuse of Alzheimer’s patients?

- I mean, you see it in the news, you hear the stories of things like that happening, which is always just devastating to hear.

So I mean, it happens.

Absolutely.

But, you know, we want to make sure that we can be as involved and do that training and provide that for as many places as possible.

But yeah, I would say that it happens for sure.

- And do you help doctors understand the disease?

So we do have this whole arm.

It's a little bit more recent, I would say in the last few years, it's our health systems outreach.

So you have your neurologists and your geriatricians and your geriatric psychiatrist who are very well versed on Alzheimer's disease and trained and educated on how to recognize it and how to diagnose it.

But that first line of defense is usually your general practitioner.

And a lot of people going in, they don't know how to ask for that cognitive assessment at a certain age.

And we're trying to make that more standard through that work.

So not just reaching one doctor at a time, we're really trying to integrate with the health system.

So the Cleveland Clinic, the university hospitals, the VA’s of the world.

But really across the country, this is an effort of something that we do and our team does, because the sooner that their general practitioner can kind of help identify that before it's too late, before they're too advanced.

I won't say too late, but before they're too advanced to maybe qualify for some of those medications and those interventions.

- Especially about the medications.

- Absolutely.

- Okay.

So does a person with early diagnosis Alzheimer's want to know they have it?

- We actually as part of our— So every year we do our annual facts and figures report and with each report there is a special study that we do.

And most recently in our 2025 study, there was a piece talking to people and kind of pulling and trying to better understand that exact question.

And now that there are some treatments, people overwhelmingly, if they can have the option to have treatments want to know.

But I think there's just still that lack of education out there of people understanding that there are those early treatments available now, and there are some of those lifestyle intervention things that we can start incorporating into our lives.

So again, the more that we can get that information out into the community, I sound like a broken record, I know, but it's so important that people know these things exist because then they will want to get that early diagnosis.

So if you can do something about it, why wouldn't you?

- Yeah.

There is a helpline, 24/7 helpline.

- Yes.

- Do you know the number?

- Yes.

It's 1-800... Do you have in right in front of you?

- Yeah.

- Oh my gosh, I know it by heart and I'm going to be... 292.

- 272.

- 272-3900.

- Yes.

- 272-3900.

1-800-272-3900.

The most important phone number that we have.

Keep that close.

Again, 24/7.

Someone will be there to help you.

- Why is data collection important?

- As far as just understanding from our perspective?

Just understanding, I think, again, like understanding those demographics and people who are being impacted by the disease, who's using our services and how can we get in front of people who aren't and better understand why people aren't using our services or seeking that support that they need.

- And how are you funded?

- So we do all kinds of fundraising throughout the year.

That's my main role.

I have a team of ten right now.

We have walks all across the country.

We're in more than 600 communities.

So our Walk to End Alzheimer’s is our largest fundraiser held annually and it's in the fall.

In Northeast Ohio we have nine walks.

Cleveland is our largest walk.

We're at the Cleveland Zoo October 17th this year, but we are in Akron and we're in Starke and we're in Ashtabula, so we're all over the place.

Large and small, just depends on kind of what you enjoy.

But our walks raise those critical funds to advance all the things that I talked about, our free care and support services, research, we’re the largest Alzheimer's, we’re the largest funder of Alzheimer's research, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research.

And we have about $430 million right now in funding across the world and a little over 1,100 studies right now.

So we have our hands in quite a bit.

And then in addition to our walks, we have our Do What You Love campaign, which is really about turning your passion into purpose.

So you do something that you love and honor, perhaps of a loved one, and you figure out how to raise some funds, and we're here to help coach you in that.

So if you love to golf, you might have a golf outing.

If you love to read, you might have a readathon.

If you love to hike, you might hike.

I mean, it could really be anything.

And then of course we have our gala coming up in May.

And that'll be at the Cleveland Museum of Art again this year.

So we're doing different types of fundraising all the time and then we have wonderful donors as well.

- So you really do work at that.

- Yeah.

You probably need to.

- Absolutely.

- Yeah.

Okay.

And... Caregivers have to spend a lot of money, I assume working with their patient.

Is that a problem for people?

- So much of what we do is for the caregiver because we know that, you know, when you're in a caregiving situation, you might not be paying as much attention to yourself, to your own health, to your own needs.

And we really want to make sure that people have the ability to care for their loved one, and also do the things that they need to do for themselves.

So again, with that education, but we also have a program that can help provide respite care for families.

There are some qualifications that they need to go through before we can approve them for it, but that is on our website as well.

And it just allows the caregiver some time to go out and run an errand, go to the doctor, get their hair done if they want, go to book club, whatever it is that they need to feed their souls and take care of themselves they really have that time to do it.

But yeah, it is a very difficult thing and we recognize that it impacts them in their workplace.

We have a whole studies on how caregiving in the workplace impacts our employers.

So it is something that we need to work on.

I imagine respite care is vitally important.

- It is, but it’s also very expensive and not everyone can afford that and it's not always covered.

So that's where we try to come in with this particular program.

It's our family caregiver relief program and try to fill some of those holes where we can for people.

- Very good.

And when a person comes, well, your website is probably the best way to avoid getting Alzheimer's to come up with ways to help.

- Yeah, we actually have, I'm going to get it wrong.

It's a fairly new part of our website that we launched.

It's Alzheimer's Healthy Habit Builder, and it's an assessment that you can do on the website.

And it just basically asks you some questions around your own habits and brain health habits, and then it'll feed you some information on just some small changes you can make to your own lifestyle to start getting on that healthier brain health path.

So it's a great tool if you'd like to just kind of get started on incorporating some of those habits into your own life.

- Sounds like I should go there.

The website, again, is?

- ALZ.org.

- Okay.

And... I want to hear from you again how many Americans there are with Alzheimer's disease.

- According to our most recent facts and figures, that was released in 2025, about 7.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease.

- Tell us more about the gala.

- Love the gala.

It's my favorite thing to talk about.

So it's Thursday, May 14th at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and tickets are still on sale.

And you can go to our website to get more information.

But we're honoring Theresa at Al Mistysyn this year.

Al recently retired from Sherwin Williams as their CFO.

He was on our board for years, and they've both been incredibly philanthropic and involved with the association, so we're really excited to celebrate them this year with our Champion Award.

And then, of course, I have to also say one more time, our walks.

If you haven't been to one, you have to check one out.

They're such, this amazing celebration.

It's hope, your honoring your loved ones.

You're with this huge community of people who know what it’s like to walk in your shoes and it's just this really beautiful day.

And we just walk and we just come together, and it's pretty amazing.

- Is that coming up?

- They’re all in the fall.

So we have a little bit of time, but it's never too late to register and get started.

And again, our staff is always here to help if people are looking for ways to fundraise, it's free to register.

But if you are looking for ways to fundraise, there's incentives along the way.

$100 earns you that coveted walk t-shirt.

And then there's some other things along the way.

- We wish you well with the research to end Alzheimer's disease.

What a wonderful world that would be.

Many thanks, Seana, for coming today.

This is Ardith Keck from Forum 360.

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