One, run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.alzheimers.gov, and part of the Obama Administration’s plan to at least stall, if not completely prevent Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, is a comprehensive, go-to compilation of information on Alzheimer’s from all sectors—for all sectors.

 

There are evocative videos of caregivers, factsheets from the National Institute on Aging, HBO documentaries and Memory Loss Tapes projects, and extensive health information culled from institutions like the Mayo Clinic and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. There is pragmatic legal advice and information on spotting symptoms, but mainly there are useful links to every major player in the Alzheimer’s realm.

 

For caregivers in the thick of it with an Alzheimer’s sufferer, Home Instead Senior Care launched Alzheimer’s CARE, helpforalzheimersfamilies.com/alzheimers-dementia-education/, an interactive site with five 15-minute modules to educate caregivers on everything from “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia” and “Managing Behaviors” to “Safety”—all packed with pragmatic information that can be put to immediate use.

 

The easily navigable, click-through model has concise yet detailed descriptions of dementia types and situations to be addressed, written in laymen’s terms. For busy and stressed caregivers who may find themselves in immediate need of advice on addressing specific behaviors, or just want to know where to go now for help, these free mini-courses could be a lifesaver.