I.D.E.A.S., Inc. [Innovative Designs in Environments for an Aging Society] was incorporated in 1991 by Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert on environments for people with dementia. Its mission is to engage in research, education and consultation on the therapeutic potential of the environment--organizational and social as well as physical--particularly as it relates to frail and impaired older adults.

I.D.E.A.S., Inc., is committed to assisting organizations in the creation of more supportive settings for older people, particularly those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. I.D.E.A.S., Inc. is also committed to the value of systematic research as a foundation for our consulting activities. I.D.E.A.S., Inc. is a multi-disciplinary firm, with expertise in architecture, sociology and aging, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology and health care administration. Beyond its consulting activities, staff have published numerous articles and book chapters on various aspects of long term care, and typically make more than 25 conference presentations per year, in the U.S. and abroad.

Polisher Research Institute is an affiliate of Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life (formerly Philadelphia Geriatric Center [PGC]), a Jewish-sponsored, not-for-profit provider of long-term care services.

Polisher Research Institute was founded in 1959 as the first research center in the U.S. to be sponsored by a geriatric facility. The Institute is nationally recognized for its pioneering research into the psychological, social, and medical aspects of aging.

Today, our scientists are helping to improve the quality of life of seniors by testing groundbreaking concepts in the care of older people, particularly those living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The Institute's faculty members publish widely and participate in seminars, conferences, and advisors councils throughout the world. Through their work, they also seek to understand the broader implications of the changing healthcare needs of America's aging population.

The Institute maintains one of the foremost gerontology libraries in the country, containing work covering the psychological, sociological, and medical aspects of aging. The library's collection includes approximately 8,500 books and reports and 200 active and archival journal titles.

The Extendicare Foundation is a national foundation established in 1985 by Extendicare Health Services for the purpose of funding educational and scientific endeavors relating to Alzheimer's disease and aging. In recent years, the focus of the Foundation has evolved and expanded to include education, information and services for caregivers in long-term care; projects that enhance the quality of life and the quality of care for residents in long-term care facilities; and research in other areas beyond Alzheimer's. The Foundation is funded almost entirely by the fundraising efforts of the employees of Extendicare and has its offices at 111 West Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203.

The Alzheimer's Association, a national network of chapters, is the largest national voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing Alzheimer's research and helping those affected by the disease. Having awarded nearly $140 million in research grants, the Association ranks as the top private funder of research into the causes, treatments, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The Association also provides education and support for people diagnosed with the condition, their families, and caregivers.

In addition, advocacy is a major component of the Alzheimer's Association's mission to achieve a world without Alzheimer's disease. They have emerged as an authority on the issues that affect people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, serving as a voice for them in the capitals of every state, hundreds of U. S. congressional offices, and even the White House.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 25 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form the National Institute on Aging to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary federal agency on Alzheimer's disease research.

The NIA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research, and specifically to:

• Support and conduct high quality research on:
  • aging processes
  • age-related diseases
  • special problems and needs of the aged
• Train and develop highly skilled research scientists from all population groups
• Develop and maintain state-of-the-art resources to accelerate research progress

Disseminate information and communicate with the public and interested groups on health and research advances and on new directions for research.