Light the world teal for November’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
'Calming' color chosen by AFA as welcoming, comforting for patients
November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is encouraging those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease — and their supporters — to wear teal and spread the word on social media to educate people.
The AFA notes on its website that it selected teal as the color to represent Alzheimer’s awareness “because it has been shown in color psychology studies to be a calming color.” Given that people with the neurodegenerative disease typically struggle to regulate their emotions, using this color “is helpful when designing and decorating spaces and events to be welcoming and comforting to those living with Alzheimer’s,” according to the AFA.
In addition to encouraging advocates to wear teal-colored apparel, the AFA is leading an effort called “Light the World in Teal.” More than 1,300 landmarks and locations worldwide will be lit up with this color on Nov. 1 to shine a light on Alzheimer’s awareness, per the AFA. The nonprofit encourages anyone with access to a building, even if it’s just a house, to sign up to go teal.
Events nationwide on tap for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Apart from wearing and shining teal this month, the AFA is also encouraging the Alzheimer’s community to help spread the word, educating others about the disease and raising Alzheimer’s awareness on social media. Advocates are urged to use the hashtags #TealforAlz, #AFAlighttheworldinteal, #Alzfdn, and #AlzheimersAwarenessMonth.
To help advocates get the word out, the AFA has prepared resources including an Alzheimer’s fact sheet and tips for healthy aging. The foundation also is offering images that can be used as cover photos to tell the world about going teal for Alzheimer’s awareness and loving someone with Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition marked by problems with memory and turbulent emotions. Scientific understanding of the condition has advanced considerably in recent decades, and the last few years have seen approvals of the first-ever treatments that are able to slow Alzheimer’s progression. These treatments are not a cure, however, and the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s remains poorly understood.
That’s why, according to the AFA and other support groups, there’s such a pressing need for more research and advocacy.
In addition to awareness month social media efforts, other events are on tap this November.
The Alzheimer’s Association‘s 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s program, which began in August, is running throughout November and to the end of December. More than 600 events are planned across the U.S., which will offer patients, caregivers, and advocates the chance to meet up with other members of their local Alzheimer’s community and raise funds to combat this disease.
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