Legendary Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt led her teams with a plan. Now, her foundation to support Alzheimer’s disease research and education continues to lead the way for caregivers.
Thanks to a $1.3 million award from the Pat Summitt Foundation, UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences launched Pat’s Gameplan for Caregivers to help create a training and support program for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers.
“Pat Summitt believed in preparation, leadership and supporting the whole team, and that philosophy is guiding this work,” says Janet Fox, assistant dean of UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences. “Through Pat’s Gameplan for Caregivers, we’re building practical tools and trusted resources that help caregivers feel more confident, less isolated and better supported as they care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
Since its launch in 2024, Pat’s Gameplan for Caregivers has reached more than 500,000 individuals seeking help and information for family members who care for spouses, parents and other relatives with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Caregiving can result in chronic stress and depression.
The program provides webinars, tutorials and guides on health, financial care and overall well-being.
The Pat Summitt Foundation was established by Pat and Tyler Summitt in November 2011 with the mission of advancing Alzheimer’s and dementia research for treatment and a cure, providing care and support for patients and caregivers, and educating the public on Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn more about Pat’s Gameplan for Caregivers.
Prevalence of Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias in the United States
An estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Seventy-four percent are age 75 or older.
Of the total U.S. population:
- About 1 in 9 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s dementia.
- The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s dementia increases with age: from 5.1 percent of people age 65 to 74 up to 33.4 percent of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia.
- People younger than 65 also can develop Alzheimer’s dementia. Although prevalence studies of younger-onset dementia in the U.S. are limited, researchers believe about 110 of every 100,000 people age 30 to 64 years, or about 200,000 Americans, have younger-onset dementia.
- Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for a family member or friend with dementia. The value of the unpaid hours is $413.5 billion—nearly 16 times the total revenue of McDonald’s in 2023.
- One in three older Americans die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease was the sixth leading cause of death among people age 65 or older in 2022.
