Pat Summitt Foundation Releases Alzheimer's Report
The foundation marked its 15th anniversary while unveiling new findings and a plan to support patients and caregivers.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Alzheimer’s
The Pat Summitt Foundation released a new report on Alzheimer's disease on Thursday and outlined a plan to help patients and families. The release coincided with the foundation's 15th anniversary, a decade after Pat Summitt died from complications of the disease.
Why it matters
The report found that 12 million Americans are providing care to family members with Alzheimer's, underscoring the strain on caregivers nationwide. The foundation's plan targets caregiver support, workforce development and healthcare access in rural America.
The report counts 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer's and 12 million providing family care, with 452 behavioral neurologists available to treat patients. The distribution of those neurologists across rural and urban areas was not detailed in the report summary.
The players
Pat Summitt Foundation
A foundation established 15 years ago to support Americans with Alzheimer's and their families, named for the former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach.
Pat Summitt
The winningest Division I college basketball coach of all time, with 1,098 wins, who died in 2016 from complications of Alzheimer's disease.
The details
The Pat Summitt Foundation, founded 15 years ago, has donated more than $5 million to help Americans with Alzheimer's and their families. The Pat Summitt Clinic has treated 33,000 patients in 29 states, and the foundation says it has reached an additional 85,000 patients through partners.
Timeline
2016: Pat Summitt died from complications of Alzheimer's disease.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: The foundation released its new Alzheimer's report and plan.
2050: The number of Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer's is projected to double.
Legacy of Advocacy
The foundation extends the public advocacy that Pat Summitt began after her own early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2011 into concrete caregiver and healthcare-access work. Its new plan centers on the caregiver burden that her diagnosis brought into public view.
Families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can look to the foundation's plan for expanded caregiver support and workforce development. Residents in rural areas may see efforts to widen access to healthcare for the disease.
The takeaway
Caregiving has become a central burden of Alzheimer's, with 12 million Americans already providing family care. Supporting those caregivers and expanding access to specialists is where the foundation's plan concentrates its effort.
Further reading
Explore more on the Alzheimer’s research and caregiving landscape.
