New Campaign Thanks Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's Disease

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting on World Alzheimer's Day (September 21), Caregiver Action Network (CAN), Allergan, Dan Gasby (husband of restaurateur, model, author and former television host B. Smith) and Chef'd, will launch a new campaign to rally people to Take 1 Moment to recognize caregivers of loved ones living with Alzheimer's disease.

"Alzheimer's disease not only impacts those diagnosed, it affects the whole family," said CAN Chief Executive Officer John Schall. "More than 15 millionⁱ husbands, wives, daughters, sons and friends care for someone with Alzheimer's. Without support, providing care can be very difficult to juggle with jobs, raising kids or just finding time for yourself."

To recognize the challenges of Alzheimer's disease caregivers, the campaign is asking people to #Take1Moment to share a memory or picture of someone they know or knew with Alzheimer's disease on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest starting on September 21, 2015, World Alzheimer's Day. For each of the first 1,000 hashtags, the campaign will provide a thank you meal from Chef'd, a gourmet, fresh ingredient meal-kit delivery service, to a caregiver identified by the Caregiver Action Network. 

"We couldn't think of a better way for our service to be used – to serve those who deserve it most," said Kyle Ransford, Founder and CEO of Chef'd. "We are proud to join the Take 1 Moment campaign to thank caregivers who devote their lives to their loved ones struggling with Alzheimer's disease." 

According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 70 percent of working caregivers make adjustments to their work schedules including taking leave of absences, and nearly 75 percent of caregivers report concern for their own health since they've prioritized the care of their loved ones and neglected their own health. The added stress puts family caregivers at higher risk for many chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which occur at nearly twice the rateⁱⁱ.

"One of the hardest parts of being a family caregiver is simply admitting that you can't do it alone and reaching out to ask others for help," said Dan Gasby, husband of restaurateur, model, author and former television host B. Smith, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. "Our hope is that every family impacted by Alzheimer's disease feels supported, which is exactly why we joined this campaign."

"With an increasing number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's, we know that the number of families needing support services is only going to grow," said Bill Meury, President, Branded Pharma. "Allergan is honored to be part of this awareness campaign and remains committed to Alzheimer's disease research, and continuing to bring new treatments to market."  

To learn more about the Take 1 Moment campaign, visit the Caregiver Action Network website www.caregiveraction.org, which also has additional resources for Alzheimer's disease caregivers.

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About Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by problems with memory, thinking and behavior that eventually become severe enough to affect daily tasks. An estimated 5.2 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States among those aged 65 and older and was reported as an underlying cause of death for more than 83,000 Americans in 2010.

About The Caregiver Action Network
The Caregiver Action Network is the nation's leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for the more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. CAN serves a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with special needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer's disease. CAN (formerly the National Family Caregivers Association) is a non-profit organization providing education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers across the country free of charge.

About Allergan
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a unique, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model – Growth Pharma.  Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative branded pharmaceuticals, high-quality generic and over-the-counter medicines and biologic products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of best-in-class products that provide valuable treatments for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics, gastroenterology, women's health, urology, cardiovascular and anti-infective therapeutic categories, and operates the world's third-largest global generics business, providing patients around the globe with increased access to affordable, high-quality medicines. Allergan is an industry leader in research and development, with one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry and a leading position in the submission of generic product applications globally.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.allergan.com.

About Chef'd
Chef'd is the First and Only Meal Store delivering fresh, high quality ingredients, pre-portioned for recipes created by top chefs, culinary influencers and leading lifestyle media brands.  

Launched in April of 2015, Chef'd is focused on helping consumers create better meals, eliminate food waste, and save on overall grocery costs, all without the hassle of subscription or membership fees. 

Chef'd offers the only always-on recipe collection, enabling consumers to return again and again to order their favorite meals from partners including Men's Health, Pure Wow, Paleo Magazine, Vegetarian Times and from renowned chefs like Fabio Viviani, Scott Conant, Robert Irvine, Chris Santos and Alex Guarnaschelli. Headquartered in El Segundo, California Chef'd delivers nationwide. For more information please visit www.chefd.com.

ⁱ "2015 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures." Alzheimer's Association. 2015. http://www.alz.org/facts/overview.asp. Accessed 09/5/15.
ⁱⁱ "Families Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving in the U.S., 2004." Alzheimer's Association. 2004 https://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_familiescare.pdf. Accessed 09/5/15.

SOURCE The Caregiver Action Network