Retirement Connection

06/21/2026

To every dad, bonus dad, grandfather, uncle, big brother, mentor, and man who ever showed up for someone who needed you, Happy Father's Day. 🌟

Fatherhood isn't just biology. It's the 6am practices, the late-night advice calls, the quiet reassurance when everything feels uncertain. It's choosing to be present, again and again.

Today we celebrate every father figure who has ever made someone feel safe, seen, and loved. Your impact lasts a lifetime.

06/19/2026

Hole #8 was NOT your average golf hole yesterday. ⛳️

We were a proud hole sponsor at the A Caring Closet Annual Golf Tournament yesterday, and let's just say we made sure everyone who stopped by had a story to tell. Truth or Dare for a shot or a beer? Absolutely. Cartwheels on the fairway? You bet. The worm? Oh yes. It happened.

But in all seriousness, yesterday was about so much more than the laughs (and the dares). We show up for A Caring Closet because they've shown up for us.

A Caring Closet is a Vancouver-based nonprofit that provides FREE durable medical equipment, wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and more, to anyone who needs it. No cost, no barriers, no questions asked. We personally know how impactful that is. When loved ones on our own team needed a wheelchair or other equipment, A Caring Closet made it possible without hesitation.

Events like this golf tournament keep their shelves stocked and their doors open for the next family who needs them. We're honored to be a part of it. 💙

06/19/2026

On June 19, 1865, a Union general stood in Galveston, Texas and read an order out loud.

The people listening learned, for the first time, that they were free.

The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two and a half years earlier. The news just never made it to them. Two and a half years of being told nothing had changed when everything had.

The first Juneteenth celebrations started in Texas the very next year. Church services. Public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. Families gathering to share food, music, and dance together. As people moved across the country in the decades that followed, the tradition traveled with them.

In 2021, it became a federal holiday.

What stays with the team at CareAvailability is this. The 50 and better community served every day includes people whose grandparents were alive when General Order No. 3 was read aloud. The stories did not stay in history books. They were passed down at kitchen tables, on front porches, in family gatherings that still happen today.

History is not far away. It is sitting next to someone you love.

Today is a day to honor the people who waited too long for news that should have come sooner, and the families who have kept the memory alive ever since.

What does Juneteenth mean in your family? Share a memory, a tradition, or a name worth remembering in the comments below.

06/05/2026

What an incredible night! 🎉

Last night's Drag Bingo was everything, glamour, laughs, and so much heart. A HUGE thank you to The Oaks Pub for hosting us and generously donating all proceeds from their signature cocktail to the Alzheimer's Association 💜 If you are ever looking for a space to host your next event, or even just somewhere to grab dinner and a drink on a beautiful outdoor patio, Brandon and Rob at The Oaks are your guys!

Thank you to the one and only Quesa D'Mondays for hosting bingo, keeping us entertained all night, and serenading the crowd with her beautiful voice!

And because of YOU, everyone who came out, bought extra bingo cards, and grabbed raffle tickets, we exceeded our fundraising goal! Once the count from our signature cocktail proceeds come in, we will have raised over $3,000 for the Alzheimer's Association - Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter!!

This community never fails to show up and show out. We are so grateful to everyone for showing up for both Pride Month and Brain Health & Awareness Month, and to support progress towards A World Without Alzheimer's 💜 🏳️‍🌈

Couldn't make it last night? There's still time to donate! Every dollar brings us closer to A World Without Alzheimer's 💜
https://events.alz.org/fundraisers/RetirementConnection/drag-bingo?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=print

06/04/2026

This week was a great week for Alzheimer's research. 💜

More than 1,000 volunteers from all 50 states walked the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C. Sixteen of us from Oregon met with Oregon Representatives and Senators. We showed up, we told the truth, and we were heard.

We came away with real wins. After our initial meetings with Representatives, three additional Oregon representatives signed on to sponsor the ASAP Act, which would allow Medicare to finally cover Alzheimer's blood tests. We also gained stronger support for the AADAPT Act, which would give primary care physicians the training they need to diagnose and treat this disease earlier.

Here's what I keep coming back to: if you went to your doctor and felt a lump, they would never say "let's keep an eye on it for a few years." We would never accept that for cancer or heart disease. So why have we accepted it for Alzheimer's?

Most of the advocates here this week were family members and caregivers, exhausted people who showed up anyway. They are some of the strongest voices I've ever witnessed.

This week we made some amazing progress in our fight for A World Without Alzheimer's. Most of the volunteers are now back at home continuing to advocate. Make your voice heard by reaching out to your representatives in less than five minutes at alzimpact.org.



Alzheimer's Association - Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter
Alzheimer's Association

06/02/2026

Today was a good day for Alzheimer’s families across America.

Sixteen of us from Oregon walked the halls of Congress together. We met with the offices of Representatives Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Congressman Cliff Bentz, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D., Val Hoyle, Janelle Bynum, and Andrea Salinas, and with both of our Senators, Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley. More than 1,000 advocates from all 50 states did the same for their statess. We showed up, we told the truth, and we were heard.

We came away with new commitments. More co-sponsors for the ASAP Act, which would allow Medicare to finally cover Alzheimer’s blood tests. And more support for the AADAPT Act, which would give primary care physicians the training they need to actually diagnose and treat this disease. And a promise to continue funding research.

What moved me most was hearing the testimonies from the volunteers in that room. Real people. Real families. Describing what it is like to know something is wrong... and wait. Wait years for a diagnosis that may never come clearly, or come too late to matter.

Here is what I keep coming back to.

Imagine you go to your doctor and tell them something is wrong. You know your body. You feel a lump. It is hard to believe your doctor would say, “Don’t worry about it. It’s probably just a normal part of aging. Let’s keep an eye on it for a few years. We don’t need a formal diagnosis right now.” We would never accept that for cancer. We would never accept it for heart disease. So why have we accepted it for Alzheimer’s?

The ASAP Act gives us the blood test that could change that conversation. The AADAPT Act trains the doctors who need to have it. Together, these two pieces of legislation will create better outcomes for millions of families living with Alzheimer’s right now... and for the millions more who will face it if we do not act.

Today was a good day. But the work is not done. Call or email your representatives and them them hear from you You can reach them in less than five minutes at alzimpact.org.

Memories matter. Today, 1,000 advocates proved that showing up matters too.



Alzheimer's Association - Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter

06/02/2026

Thank you Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D.

We are so grateful to Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. and her staff for meeting with advocates on issues related to Alzheimer’s Disease. We hope she will co-sponsor the ASAP act to enable Medicare to cover blood screening tests for Alzheimer’s. This will help families receive a proper diagnosis, start care planning, make lifestyle changes and start treatment sooner.
Thank you Representative Dexter for already co-sponsoring the ADAPT act, empowering primarily care providers.
Alzheimer's Association - Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter

06/01/2026

This week, Our CEO Amy Schmidt along with 1,500+ volunteers are in Washington D.C. asking Congress to act on Alzheimer's, because the families living with this disease are often too exhausted to make the calls themselves. Of these 1000 volunteers most are families. They are honestly some of the strongest voices. I’m an outlier. Early detection. Provider training. Caregiver support. Continued research funding. The policy exists. Now we need the political will. 🧠💜 Follow us for updates on the legislative meetings this week.

Read why federal policy can change everything: https://careavailability.com/alzheimers-forum-in.../

05/29/2026

We celebrated the release of our Southern Oregon Retirement Connection Guide tonight at McMenamins in Roseburg and it was exactly the kind of evening we love.

There's something special about gathering in person around a shared purpose. It reinforces why we do this work and why resources like the Retirement Connection Guide matter so much to the communities we serve.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a wonderful night! 🎉

05/27/2026

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting the PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Case Management Resource Fair! We love hosting these events at hospitals from Everett, WA all the way down to Medford, OR, connecting with hospital case managers, social workers, and discharge planning staff while sharing the incredible local resources available to patients in each community. Even better, all proceeds go directly toward supporting low-income patients in need! We are so grateful that we get to bring providers and hospital teams together to strengthen the care network for those who need it most. 💙