June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month — an opportunity to hold a conversation about the brain and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major public health issue. Everyone who has a brain is at risk to develop Alzheimer’s, the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. During the month of June, the Alzheimer’s Association® asks people around the world to wear purple and use their brains to fight Alzheimer’s disease.
President Ronald Regan initiated the observance of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in 1983 to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and get people involved in the recognition of the diseases as well as the types of care required by someone suffering from it.
5 Facts About Alzheimer’s That You Didn’t Know:
- An estimated 55 million people around the world are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and if that change doesn’t come by 2030, this number will grow to roughly 76 million.
- A person develops Alzheimer’s disease in the United States every 65 seconds.
- In the United States, more than 16 million people take care of family or friends with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. 6.2 million of those living with Alzheimer’s disease are over the age of 65.
- Alzheimer’s or other dementia kills one in three seniors. This is more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
THE DAY WITH THE MOST LIGHT IS THE DAY WE FIGHT – THE SUMMER SOLSTICE. On June 21, people from across the world will fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through different fundraising activities of their choice. Whether participating at home, online or in-person, visit the Alzheimer’s Association for fun ideas to engage family and friends in The Longest Day!
