Alzheimer's Orange County

Alzheimer’s Orange County (AlzOC®) provides support to Orange County families and individuals through brain health and dementia education, care consultations, community resource connections, Adult Day Health Services, residential memory care services, and more.

Since 1982, Alzheimer’s Orange County has been Orange County’s most comprehensive safety net available for individuals affected by Alzheimer's and related dementia, medically fragile seniors with memory impairment, and their families and caregivers. We are dedicated to providing quality care and support services to the thousands of residents of Orange County who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementia, and also partnering with local researchers to populate clinical trials to help find a cure.

In 2024 alone, we served over 27,101 people in Orange County. Our mission is to support individuals in Orange County who are experiencing memory loss, frail seniors, and those who care for them. We remain committed to the local fight against Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia or memory loss. Until there’s a cure, we provide hope.

During 2024, we made a significant impact in various areas. We educated 15,109 caregivers, healthcare professionals, and community members through free classes on brain health, dementia, and other healthy aging topics. Additionally, 1,103 families received in-depth, personal support from our licensed social workers, who helped them create personalized plans to prepare for the challenges ahead related to dementia diagnoses. Our helpline also assisted 4,134 callers in finding answers and accessing available resources.

In our early memory loss support programs, 542 individuals participated in sessions designed to help them plan their first steps and receive assistance from the start. Our Healthy Aging Centers provided care to nearly 147 participants and offered over 4,900 hours of therapy and exercise. Moreover, our outreach and advocacy efforts reached approximately 10,000 individuals, and we had over 183 contacts across local, state, and federal levels to advocate on behalf of our community and increase access to our services.

Alzheimer’s is the 3rd leading cause of death in Orange County, California; one in six OC residents will have dementia by age 65 and one in two will have the disease by age 85. In the next generation, the number of Californians over age 55 living with Alzheimer’s disease will double. Increases in capacity, program offerings as well as educational and research offerings are necessary to just maintain current levels of service. Currently, we are only able to serve 26% of OC’s  affected population. As this population grows, so too must our capacity. The disease can last from 8-20+ years, putting extreme physical, emotional, and financial stress on those affected. Average annual care costs are upwards of $40,000, forcing many families to provide 24-hour care at home for their loved one. More than 15 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provide an estimated 17.4 billion hours of often untrained care annually. Due to the demands of caregiving, California businesses currently experience an estimated $1.4 billion in lost productivity annually from full-time employed caregivers alone. As the number of people at risk continues to grow, the need to provide support and knowledge is more urgent than ever.

Services are provided throughout all of Orange County.

The need for our services is greater than ever before as we work to provide support throughout Orange County for the over 164,000 residents affected by dementia or mild cognitive impairment, their families and caregivers.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2014 Facts and Figures Report, Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, and shows that by 2030, Orange County will see a doubling in the number of people living with Alzheimer’s, and a tripling among ethnic minorities who are less likely to have access to educational and diagnostic services. This dramatic growth is expected to directly affect over 150,000 members of our community - as well as their families. Today we reach just 26% of the individuals and families affected by the disease in Orange County.  Through your continued support, we can expand our services to meet the growing need in our community. Funds will be invested in research science in pursuit of a Cure; in programs and services for those currently burdened by their Care responsibilities and in our Capacity to reach more people with support services, educate more physicians, and build greater community collaboration to ensure a healthy and supportive roadmap for our seniors facing memory loss.