Over 4 million individuals in our country have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to increase to over 14 million by the year 2020. This disease, which causes a person to experience memory loss, personality changes and a decline in the ability to care for oneself, has a severe impact not only on the individual who is affected, but also on the family who cares for them.

Over 75% of people with Alzheimer's disease are cared for at home by family members. Among those impacted by Alzheimer's disease are children. Whether they are the grandchildren of the person with Alzheimer's disease, the neighbor, or the friend who visits someone special in a nursing home, children are increasingly exposed to the impact of Alzheimer's disease on our society.

Alzheimer's CARE Camp® is an educational program that was designed to teach kids about the disease and better equip them for caregiving of loved ones. This program also helps prepare kids who visit somone with Alzheimer's disease, or might like to volunteer in a facility that cares for people who have Alzheimer's disease.

Participants learn about Alzheimer's disease as well as how to interact with people who have this disease. Interspersed with learning time, the kids engage in activities with the residents ranging from arts and crafts, music, dance, recreation, reminiscence, life story reviews and more. The combination of learning and practice is a vital component of the program. The kids also participate in peer discussion groups and games, planning activities for residents, and even off-site excursions with residents and staff members. CARE Camp® is offered in a variety of formats including a one day workshop as well as a daily weeklong program for school or summer break.

The program enhances the self-esteem of kids by giving them the opportunity to help others in a safe, educational, and supportive environment. They also can earn community service hours for their participation in this program.

Kids who have a relative with Alzheimer's disease benefit tremendously from this program by learning about the disease and developing skills that enhance their cargiving abilities.

This program enhances the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease by giving them the opportunity to spend time with young people who are knowledgeable about their situation.

The program can also reduce the stress level of professional caregivers and informal family caregivers by having young people share in their caregiving experience.