Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia among older Americans, and is the 6th leading cause of death in this country. A new case of Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed every 70 seconds. Dementia is characterized by a loss of cognitive abilities, and robs individuals of their functional independence, treasured memories, and eventually, their lives. Risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases as a person ages, and the aging Baby Boomers are expected to shift demographics in America to include an increasingly greater proportion of older individuals. Therefore, the number of individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease, including people with the disease as well as their family, friends, and caregivers, is expected to swell dramatically in the coming years.

In an effort to fund Alzheimer awareness, care, support, and research, the Alzheimer’s Association sponsors their annual Memory Walk® every October. Since 1989, the walk has raised more than $260 million as volunteers of all ages come together to join the fight to end this devastating disease. This year, on October 24, 2009, student and faculty aging researchers in the UF Department of Psychology were among those taking action against Alzheimer’s through participating in the Memory Walk.

The walkers were student and faculty members of the cross-college NIH-sponsored Aging Training Program (T32), and included members from three labs in the Psychology Department: the Cognitive Aging Lab, the Life Story Lab, and the Aging and Development Lab. The team, called Memory Matters, was led by one of its student trainees, Jacqueline Baron. Family members of trainees also came out to support the cause. By the time of the walk, Memory Matters was the 5th largest fundraiser for the 2009 Gainesville walk, raising nearly $1000 for the cause. Join us next year?

(Reference for all statistics- www.alz.org).
Story by Erin Hastings.