BURLINGTON, IOWA (November 3, 2025) — During National Family Caregivers and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November, the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is joining communities across the country in honoring the nearly twelve million Americans who provide unpaid care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
Ashlie Timm of Burlington knows firsthand what it means to be a dementia caregiver. After checking on her friend, Sue, one day and seeing that her house was in disarray, she had a stack of unpaid bills and seemed distressed, Ashlie stepped up to help care for her by taking her to doctor appointments, setting up meal delivery, maintaining her house, and straightening out her finances. Unfortunately, Sue’s daughter who lives locally isn’t able to be her caregiver due to her own severe health issues, so Ashlie took on the role of being her primary caregiver. She was familiar with caring for someone with Alzheimer’s because her mother had dementia when she passed away eleven years ago. After her mom passed, Ashlie started volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Burlington.
The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter offers over sixty support groups across the state of Iowa that provide resources and support to spouses, children, family, and friends of loved ones living with the disease.
They also host education programs in person and virtually across the state to help families affected by the disease understand more about Alzheimer’s, how to care for someone with the disease, and how to care for themselves as a caregiver.
This year, the Alzheimer’s Association has launched several new and expanded resources to help families navigate the challenges of dementia at every stage.
● Transitions in Care, a new online education program that helps families navigate the decision to transition a person living with dementia into long-term care.
● The Empowered Caregiver, an evidenced-based education program designed for middle- and late-stage caregivers to build skills, manage stress and find community.
● My ALZ Journey, a free, personalized digital tool that helps people newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias — and their care partners — access tailored information and local support.
Currently, there are 80,000 caregivers in Iowa providing care to over 62,000 individuals over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides local support and programs to families facing this devastating disease, including a 24-7 Helpline staffed by master’s-level clinicians and specialists who are available 365 days a year and can help families navigate a variety of disease-related issues. Call 800-272-3900.
Visit alz.org/nadam and join us in honoring millions of caregivers by sharing a special message of thanks during National Family Caregivers Month.
Alzheimer’s Caregiving: By the Numbers
● In 2024, nearly twelve million caregivers provided more than nineteen billion hours of unpaid care, a contribution to the nation valued at $413.4 billion.
○ 59% of family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's or other dementias rated the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high.
○ 38% of unpaid caregivers report physical stress due to caregiving.
○ 60% of caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia were employed in the past year. However, many of these caregivers had to make major changes to their work schedules because of caregiving responsibilities: 57% said they had to go in late, leave early or take time off and 16% had to take a leave of absence.
● The total lifetime cost of care for someone with dementia is estimated at more than $400,000 ($405,362) with 70% of these costs borne by family caregivers in the forms of unpaid caregiving and out-of-pocket expenses.
○ 41% percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
