As we continue celebrating our milestone 40th anniversary, the Alliance for Aging Research is setting its sights on another big event, Heroes in Health.

If you’re new to the show or unfamiliar with our awards dinner, it’s an annual gathering in Washington, DC where advocates, experts, patients, policymakers, clinicians, and more come together to honor leaders advancing healthy aging. And this year feels especially meaningful.

Joining us to share what we have in store is Alliance Development Coordinator, Lauren Belsky. Since joining the Alliance last year, Lauren has hit the ground running, playing a key role in corporate partnerships, fundraising

Alzheimer’s and related diseases don’t just affect memory. They also bring behavioral and psychological challenges known as neuropsychiatric symptoms, or NPS. These can include anxiety, depression, agitation, and sleep disturbances, making life difficult for both patients and caregivers. As symptoms progress, so do the risks of injury, isolation, and the need for institutional care, often worsened by stigma and limited support.

To address this, the Alliance for Aging Research and the National Alliance for Caregiving co-hosted the “Caring Together” summit in December 2025, bringing together experts, caregivers, and people with lived experience to share practical tools and strategies—now captured in a new white paper. Joining us today to discuss these resources is Jason Resendez, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, where he leads efforts to better support more than 63 million family caregivers nationwide.

This year marks a major milestone as the Alliance for Aging Research celebrates its 40th anniversary. That’s four decades of changing the narrative around aging and fighting for equitable access to care. And if you thought turning 40 was a sign to slow down, we’re here to tell you we’re just getting started.

On this very special episode of The Check-Up, I’m joined by Alliance President and CEO Sue Peschin and Founder and Board Member Dan Perry to reflect on 40 years of service to the aging community, and to discuss our continued commitment to healthy aging.