Year in Review 2023
From Heather Cooper Ortner, President & CEO:
As 2023 comes to a close, I reflect back on the peaks and valleys I see in my mind as the graph of this year. As January began, we were really still caught in the lingering lows we all felt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of us were still masking routinely and we were cautious with our social circles. However, as this year ends, life seems to have mostly returned to normal. We gather with family and friends in our homes, restaurants, and movie theaters, and malls are filling again.
Heather Cooper Ortner
For some of us, things feel better now than they did at the start of the year. However, for most of our clients, life is still incredibly hard, and these are very stressful times. Most of the communities we serve have not seen their wages increase proportionally to the recent rise in inflation. Balancing economic stressors while caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or another dementia means that many – if not most – of the families we serve are still severely stressed out and their needs have not decreased.
At the same time, this year saw great scientific breakthroughs with the first disease-modifying drugs approved by the FDA. This, along with the expectations for more to come, is cause for great optimism. While there is still a lot to work out to ensure that people who qualify for them have access to these new drugs, there is no denying the recent positive gains in research. When you include the future potential of having a blood test that may be able to detect amyloid, and therefore diagnose Alzheimer’s, it is clear that we are experiencing a new and exciting time in research.
Peaks and valleys, as I said at the beginning of this message. Some days I am so excited and optimistic and others I’m struck by how much things are still exactly the same for so many and how much work there is still to do.
As I think about the coming year, I am cautiously optimistic. With a more focused lens, I see the work that our team of dedicated professionals is doing to make inroads into the communities most at risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. I’m proud of our commitment to connect with people in ways that are respectful and culturally and linguistically capable to ensure they know that they are not alone, there is help, and we are here when they need us.
Our commitment to our mission has not changed since our founding in 1981. We don’t know what challenges 2024 will bring, but we will meet them with the same determination that we always have. And we will celebrate the successes and breakthroughs as they come as well.
To our donors and funders, you have our continued gratitude for your generosity. Without you, our professionals would not have the resources they need to do their work. Nor would we be able to reach into the communities we do with as much success without our partners.
With appreciation,
Heather Cooper Ortner
President & CEO