NEW YORK, January 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Foundation International (AFI) today announced the ground-breaking formation of the Alzheimer's Foundation of Israel, with Melabev, Israel's leading organization caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease, as one of the founding members of the new organization.

AFI is an outgrowth of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), a leading nonprofit organization based in New York and composed of 1,600+ member organizations in the United States. Founded in 2009, AFI is expanding worldwide by forming member organizations in various countries.

Eric J. Hall, president and CEO of both AFI and AFA, traveled to Israel this week to make the announcement, and sign an historic agreement with Melabev's Director General Motti Zelikovitch to add Melabev's membership to the Alzheimer's Foundation of Israel and to declare their combined commitment to serve the Alzheimer's population in Israel. They signed the agreement on January 18 at one of Melabev's care centers in Jerusalem.

"The Alzheimer's Foundation International's expansion into Israel highlights the growing recognition that Alzheimer's disease is a worldwide crisis that deserves increasing attention," said Hall. "We are committed to working side-by-side with Israel's dementia care experts and providers to advance treatment and care, and make a difference in the lives of families affected by this heartbreaking disease."

The formation of the Alzheimer's Foundation of Israel signals the start of new operational cooperation between Alzheimer's care providers in Israel and abroad, including sharing research and best practices related to treatment and care. This international collaboration will help bring the most up-to-date therapies, programs and services to individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their families, improving their quality of care, as well as raising global awareness of the disease.

In signing the agreement, Zelikovitch commented, "We are confident that our new alliance with AFI will not only lead to better care and treatment for patients in Israel, but we are excited to share our innovations with caregivers throughout the world. Working together, globally, I believe we can leverage all our resources to help dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers around the world."

It is estimated that 35.6 million people worldwide have dementia, and the incidence is expected to increase to 115 million by 2050. Alzheimer's disease causes loss of memory and other cognitive functions, and, ultimately, death.

During his five-day visit to Israel, Hall has been touring Melabev's care centers and discussing additional strategies to care for families coping with Alzheimer's disease.

Melabev will serve as the point of operations for the Alzheimer's Foundation of Israel, and Zelickovich will be personally involved in its formation and growth. Melabev has been at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease and memory care for the past 30 years, and currently operates 10 day care centers in the Jerusalem area.

Alzheimer's Foundation International:

The Alzheimer's Foundation International (AFI) is working toward collaboratively setting a paradigm of quality care for individuals with the disease and their families by raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, providing education, and establishing programs and services that can be replicated in countries around the globe. Currently, AFI's member organizations are the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), its founding member; Alzheimer's Foundation for Caregiving in Canada; and Alzheimer's Foundation of Israel. AFA, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites 1,600 member organizations nationwide. For more information, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit http://www.alzfdn.org.

Melabev:

Melabev has been at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease and memory care for the past 30 years. Founded in 1981 by geriatric specialists Professor Arnold Rosin and Leah Abramowitz, the organization provides a full network of services for people with dementia in every stage of the disease. With over 600 currently using their Alzheimer's services monthly, Melabev's vital family support groups reach over 5,000 family members who are learning to cope with this new stage of life. Melabev currently operates 10 day care centers for the elderly with either moderate or advanced Alzheimer's-like symptoms in the Jerusalem area, including one in Beit Shemesh. For more information, visit http://www.melabev.org.