‘It’s Time to Act’: A New 5-Year Plan to Relieve Alzheimer’s Burden on Women

A new report from AARP and the Women's Alzheimer's Movement consolidates 10 years of lessons to help explain why women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's disease, and to outline a five-year plan to reduce that burden, according to Being Patient . The plan specifies a global strategy to help women and families coping with Alzheimer's and dementia, no matter their income, ethnicity, education, or cultural background. The five-point approach involves eliminating the stigma of dementia; empowering women to maintain their brain health; guaranteeing inclusivity in research; supporting family caregivers; and improving medical training for dementia. "We recognize that we can't simply sit back and wait for a cure for Alzheimer's disease and dementia," said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. "We need to work to reduce risk, improve care, and help people keep their brains healthy while they age. But no one organization or researcher can do it alone. We need to tap into everyone's strengths and also make a call for women to take ownership of their own brain health."