Moving from Decline to Well-Being, Lifestyle, and Hope
This Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, we invite you to join us in seeing dementia differently. With the right resources, support, and community, people living with dementia and their care partners can continue to experience well-being, connection, and hope. We are honored to walk alongside them.
Each November, organizations across the country observe National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. First proclaimed in 1983, this month is a time to recognize people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, to honor the family members and friends who care for them, and to talk openly about a condition that impacts millions of people and communities.
At Connected Horse, this month is close to our hearts. Every day, we see what becomes possible when people living with dementia and their care partners are met with connection, purpose, and hope.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report:
- An estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, about 1 in 9 people in that age group.
- Almost two thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women.
- Nearly 13 million family members and friends provide unpaid care, giving more than 19 billion hours of care each year.
Awareness Matters. When we bring awareness to dementia, we shed light on the resources and support that people living with dementia and their families need. Awareness also helps reduce the stigma and fear that too often keep people from seeking a diagnosis or asking for help.
Perhaps most importantly, awareness helps us change the story we tell about dementia. Together, we can move away from a decline model and toward a model that focuses on well-being, lifestyle, and hope. A diagnosis does not end a person’s ability to engage, to feel joy, to connect with others, or to live a meaningful life.
Connected Horse offers evidence-supported equine-assisted programs designed for people living with dementia and their care partners to experience together. Our programs encourage:
- Movement in nature. Time outdoors at the barn invites gentle physical activity and fresh air in a calm, natural setting.
- Mindfulness. Horses live in the present moment, and they invite us to do the same. Participants practice slowing down, noticing, and being fully present.
- Guided interaction with horses. Trained facilitators guide participants through safe, ground-based activities with horses that build confidence and spark curiosity.
- Connection to others. Care partners and people living with dementia share the experience side by side and build community with other families on a similar path.
These opportunities are proven to reduce stress and improve health outcomes for people living with dementia and their family care partners. Just as importantly, they create shared moments of calm and joy.
Caring for someone living with dementia can be deeply meaningful, and it can also be exhausting and isolating. Care partners often put their own well-being last. Connected Horse was built on the belief that care partners deserve support, and that the relationship between a person living with dementia and their care partner can continue to grow.
How You Can Take Part This November
- Learn the signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and encourage loved ones to talk with a doctor about memory changes.
- Start the conversation. Talking openly helps reduce fear and isolation.
- Check in on a care partner. A meal, a phone call, or an afternoon of respite can make a real difference.
- Use trusted resources. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 and information at alz.org.
- Connect with Connected Horse. Learn more about our programs, share our work with someone who may benefit, or support our mission with a gift.
