USA2 Spotlight 

• A November 17, 2014 LillyPad blog post by USA2 Chairman George Vradenburg underscored the need for "funding for basic research and incentives for private investment." According to Vradenburg, "This year, Congress will support more than $5.4 billion in cancer research, $2 billion in research into cardiovascular disease, and $3 billion in HIV/AIDS research. But Alzheimer's research will receive only around $560 million. We know from our efforts to combat polio and HIV/AIDS that there is a correlation between investing in research and medical breakthroughs. It’s high time we do that for Alzheimer’s disease…When we observe National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month again in two years – not another 10 years – I truly hope we will be celebrating a scientific breakthrough to put us on the path to an end to Alzheimer’s. With enough commitment, it can be done."
• A November 8, 2014 WIBC podcast featured USA2 Co-Founder Trish Vradenburg and her efforts to raise awareness of Alzheimer's through her play Surviving Grace. Two parts: One & Two.

• A November 16, 2014 Washington Post article reported that some employers are offering elder-care benefits as the U.S. workforce ages. According to the article, "Leaders at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer were working on a potential Alzheimer’s drug when they began to think seriously about the elder-care responsibilities of their workforce, said Jack Watters, vice president of external and medical affairs. They first surveyed their employees and found that many were silently juggling care for aging parents and feeling overwhelmed and isolated. They began to offer more flexible work arrangements, trained managers to better handle flexible workers and destigmatize caregiving, and offered resources such as free geriatric assessments."

• A November 17, 2014 NCLR Blog post highlighted the impact of Alzheimer's on the Latino caregiving community. According to the post, "With increasing longevity—particularly among Latinos—and rising rates of diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, (two of the top diseases among loved ones cared for by family) the number of family caregivers will also increase. This trend raises concerns about the physical, emotional, and financial costs to the caregiver. For various reasons, including socioeconomic ones, Latino families will continue to turn to each other for help. Nevertheless, changing demographics and generational differences will likely create a shift in the acceptability of seeking outside help. Seeking formal services to help care for elderly family members may help reduce stress among Latino caregivers and help them better balance life and work, while still staying true to that deeply held value of familismo."