Monthly Newsletter | March 2026

New Care Counseling in Mandarin

Alzheimer’s Los Angeles would like to introduce our new Care Counselor, Suhong He, MPH, who will be supporting Asian American and Mandarin speaking families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Suhong is fluent in Mandarin and will provide care counseling services to better support Mandarin speaking caregivers. Our Care Counseling Program offers free, one-on-one support to help caregivers understand dementia, explore care options, navigate resources, and reduce caregiver stress and burnout. Suhong also facilitates our AAPI support group, where caregivers connect with others who share similar experiences in a culturally affirming space.

To further support the Mandarin-speaking community, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles will host a special Mandarin Caregiving Workshop Series from March through May.

To connect with Suhong or learn more about available services, please call our Helpline at 844-435-7259 or visit our calendar for the full workshop schedule.

Honor the Women Who Inspire You 

Women’s History Month is a chance to celebrate the women who guide, support, and improve our lives. It’s also a moment to recognize that women are deeply affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Women are more likely to develop the disease, and most family caregivers are women who take on long hours of care while juggling work, family, and their own health. 

Make a lasting impact with a monthly gift in honor of a woman you admire to help ensure that women in our community don’t have to face Alzheimer’s or another dementia alone. Your generosity provides critical resources, guidance, and hope for women who often feel overwhelmed and isolated. 

You can also send a personalized e-card to your honoree. It’s a simple way to let her know she inspires you and that your gift is helping women and families in her honor. If you need help, please call us at (323) 930-6201. 

Together, we can lift up the women who carry so much and help to make sure every family facing dementia has the support they need. 

California Coalition on Family Caregiving Lobby Day

Join the California Coalition on Family Caregiving for their annual 2026 Advocacy Day on April 14 in Sacramento. This year, we are supporting SB 1149 which will ensure that workers can take time off to grieve for a member of their “chosen” family. Not able to join us in person? You can still share your story. Contact us at advocacy@alzla.org for more information. Register for Advocacy Day.

Thank You, Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation!

We are so grateful to the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation for their recent grant of $15,000 in support of our work serving individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This grant in support of our mission will help strengthen our free programs and services for the next year.

Understanding Clinical Trials

A video series funded by a generous grant from Eli Lilly & Company

Why do people choose to join clinical trials? For many, participating in clinical trials is how they contribute to research, learn more about their own health, and help advance future treatments for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Clinical trials rely on people from diverse backgrounds to help researchers better understand Alzheimer’s and develop treatments that work for everyone.

From appointments to check-ins, participants are supported every step of the way. Many are surprised by how approachable and structured the experience can be. The screening process helps ensure participant safety and determines whether someone is eligible for a specific study. Randomization helps researchers compare treatments fairly and accurately—an essential part of the research process.

The clinical trial video topics are:

• Why Participate 
• The Value of Participation  
• The Participant Experience 
• The Screening & Consent Processes 
• The Randomization Process

Watch the videos.

Create a Legacy of Love and Compassion

Your will or trust is more than a legal document—it’s a reflection of your values and your love for family, community, and causes that matter most to you. By creating or updating your estate plans, you can help protect your loved ones while helping to ensure Alzheimer’s Los Angeles can continue providing vital services to families impacted by Alzheimer’s for years to come.  

If you’d like to explore your legacy options or need resources to create a will or trust, please contact Shade Mokuolu at (818) 912-5866 or visit our planned giving webpage.  

Turken Award

Since 1990, the Sam and Ida Turken Charitable Foundation has provided scholarships to promising early career investigators in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, in hopes of keeping these brilliant scientists working on Alzheimer’s research. The award provides an opportunity to highlight Alzheimer’s-related research at UCLA and is sponsored through Alzheimer’s Los Angeles.

Every year, UCLA’s Mary Easton Center hosts a luncheon where early career researchers share their impressive work in the study of Alzheimer’s disease and culminates with a presentation from the awardee. View past Turken awardees.

Ask Miriam

Dear Miriam,

I am the caregiver for my wife – she is 79 years old, 11 years older than I am, and is in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s disease with vascular dementia. We’ve had a wonderful marriage, and I want to be able to take care of her at home as long as I can. We never had children; however, my wife was very close with one of her sisters, who just died. She was only sick for a little while, and I never told my wife she died, as I didn’t want to upset her. Now the funeral is coming up. What do I say to my wife? Should she go to the service? I’m afraid she is going to be devastated at the news that her sister is gone. My wife is still somewhat independent, but she is pretty confused and easily upset. What do you think?

— Worried Husband

Read Miriam's Answer >

Questions for Miriam can be sent to askmiriam@alzla.org.