New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association Breaks Away from National to Return to our Roots as an Independent, Stand-Alone Charity Called CaringKind, The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving.

On December 1, the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association announced our separation from the National Alzheimer’s Association, based in Chicago, to return to our roots as a stand-alone, independent charity. The nation’s leading experts in Alzheimer’s care, education and support can still be found at 360 Lexington Avenue under the new name, CaringKind, The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving.

CaringKind will continue providing compassionate care and life-saving support in New York City for the hundreds of thousands of families and individuals affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias as we have done for more than 30 years.

The disaffiliation came after the National Alzheimer’s Association made the decision to restructure the organization in a plan they called “Mission Forward,” combining all of its local chapters into one single 501(c)(3) organization — in essence, a single charity.

This significant structural change would have severely affected our ability to provide the same quality and level of service which has benefitted New Yorkers for over three decades. Decisions about the vital programs would have been turned over to individuals hundreds of miles away in Chicago. Consolidating into one central charity would have meant losing control over management and the dissolution of our dedicated and generous governing Board of Directors.

Operating as an independent charity will create numerous economic and fundraising opportunities for CaringKind. We will now be able to keep 100% of every dollar raised to support all of our free programs and services (under the National Association’s shared fundraising system, 40% of every unrestricted dollar we raised went to National). Now, CaringKind will have the freedom to partner with major corporations and funders. We’ll be able to initiate cause-marketing programs and give funders the opportunity to brand materials, programs, and events.

Lou-Ellen Barkan, our President & CEO, said, “I want to assure New York City’s Alzheimer’s community and all of our clients, partners, supporters and friends that nothing has changed except our name. There will be no disruption of service. It will be business as usual at 360 Lexington Avenue. We will remain the premiere organization in New York City singularly focused on care and support for individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their families.” Lou-Ellen added that New Yorkers will be able to rely on the same high quality service they have come to expect for more than 30 years:

  • Hundreds of free support groups, workshops, and educational seminars for caregivers and people with the disease will continue.

  • Satellite programs in Queens and Brooklyn will stay as busy as ever.

  • The state-of-the-art Early Stage Center will remain open for business.

  • Outreach efforts to the African American, Latino, Orthodox Jewish, Russian, Chinese and LGBT communities will continue.

  • Dementia care training programs for home health aides and other health care professionals will proceed uninterrupted.

  • Partnerships with nursing homes, major medical centers, world-renowned researchers, and the entire Alzheimer’s community in New York City will grow stronger than ever.

  • Thanks to CaringKind’s intimate and strong relationship with the NYPD, we will still offer a resource to protect New Yorkers with dementia who wander.

  • The 24-hour Helpline will continue to be the best way for New Yorkers to access expert and caring advice 365 days a year. The new Helpline telephone number is 646-744-2900.

For more than 30 years, the Alzheimer’s professionals who work at 360 Lexington Avenue have served hundreds of thousands of clients from New York City, including individuals with dementia and their families, and the professionals who provide their care. Our organization has been a consistent and strong presence in the NYC community.

Lou-Ellen concluded, “This organization is the nation’s model for innovative, creative and leading-edge caregiving. We are dedicated to delivering human-centered care to the heart of our diverse New York communities. We help caregivers and people living with dementia have full and meaningful lives. And, in the absence of effective therapies and a cure, the best therapy — the only therapy — is good care…and this is where we excel.”