Join the Cause

The Alzheimer’s Association--Cleveland Area Chapter invites you to become an Alzheimer advocate. The Association is the leading voice for Alzheimer’s disease advocacy, fighting for critical Alzheimer’s research, prevention and care initiatives at the state and federal level. Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

Add your voice to ours — become an advocate today.

Act Now

Memory Day 2016

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Memory Day is the longest-running and successful Alzheimer’s advocacy event in Ohio and across the Nation. Memory Day offers participants the unique opportunity to meet other Alzheimer’s advocates from across Ohio as well as share their personal stories and concerns related to Alzheimer’s disease with their state elected representatives and their staffers.

Memory Day 2016 will take place on Wednesday, April 20th in our state capital of Columbus. Registration is now closed.

Please contact Sarah Sobel at ssobel@alz.org or (216) 342-5574 if you have questions.

What is an Advocate?

Anyone can be an advocate regardless of how much time you’re willing to give to the cause. Advocates are people with Alzheimer’s and related disorders, caregivers, friends, family members, and professionals who raise awareness and urge policymakers to support care and research. EndAlz_web

Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.

As an advocate, you will:

Receive regular updates about current state and federal legislative and public policy issues.
Stay on top of policy and legislative issues through alerts and updates.
Make calls or write to legislators to forward public policy priorities to improve quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s. You may also be asked to participate in a meeting or two with a legislator.

Ohio Advocacy

The Cleveland Area chapter is one of seven Ohio chapters of the Alzheimer's Association that participates in the Ohio Council. The Ohio Council of the Alzheimer’s Association works together to speak with one voice to meet the needs and represent the interests of Ohioans with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, their families and caregivers. Please visit the Ohio Council web page for current advocacy efforts.

Ohio Goals: 2016 Legislative Priorities

To address the growing epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on Ohio, the Ohio Council of the Alzheimer’s Association will work to:

Advocate to preserve and enhance state programs, which provide critical support to individuals with Alzheimer’s and their family caregivers.
Partner with state agencies to implement standards for proper care delivery and training of all staff in healthcare and home and community-based settings to ensure delivery of quality person-centered dementia care.
Collaborate with appropriate state agencies and stakeholders to further the continued development, implementation, expansion and sustainability of the Dementia Capable Ohio Plan.
Ensure that current Alzheimer’s Respite programs and services are adequately funded to accommodate the growing need of such programs and services provided by the Alzheimer’s Association in Ohio through the Alzheimer’s Respite Line Item (490-414).
Engage appropriate state agencies in the support of ongoing surveillance and data collection and potential outcomes on cognitive impairment and caregiving through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Support and engage in advocacy efforts for the protection of Medicaid services or eligibility ensuring families and individuals with Alzheimer’s that needed services are available in the most appropriate setting.
Continue to advocate and support federal public policy priorities as identified by the Association’s public policy office.

Advocate for Change