Back in November 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer’s; today, the number of people with the disease has soared to nearly 5.4 million.

During November, National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month aims at making the general public more aware of the disease and the scale of it among the U.S. population, as well as bring new light potential care options for those affected.

Dementia impacts the whole family, not just the person with the disease. The chronic stress of watching a loved one slowly decline affects everyone. Family caregivers experience high rates of physical illness, social isolation, emotional distress and financial hardship compared to non-caregivers. Having a care plan can help reduce stress by knowing what to expect and having resources at hand.