The Alzheimer's Foundation of America is bringing a free educational conference on Alzheimer's disease and caregiving to Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 18, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT at the Southwestern Conference Center, and country star Jason Aldean along with his wife, Brittany, are expected to appear and talk about their own family's experience with dementia.
The event, part of AFA's National Educating Across America Tour, is open to everyone and will take place at the Southwestern Conference Center, located at 2451 Atrium Way in Nashville, according to NewsChannel 5 Nashville. Attendees will have the chance to learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer's disease, brain health and caregiving over the course of the three-hour program.
Jason and Brittany Aldean are scheduled to share their family's personal experience with dementia during a session titled Caregiver Voices: Strength, Love, and Resilience, according to Rutherford Source. The couple's connection to the disease runs through both sides of their family: Jason's uncle died following a battle with Lewy body dementia, while Brittany's father, Donald Kerr, has been living with the disease since 2022, the outlet reports.
Other Speakers Join the Aldeans on the Program
The Aldeans won't be the only voices at the podium. Lee Ann Hyatt, founder of the nonprofit We Remember You, is set to address the challenges caregivers face and ways communities can offer support, per the same account. Dr. Patricia Andrews of Vanderbilt University Medical Center is also scheduled to discuss advancements in Alzheimer's detection, research and treatment.
The conference arrives alongside sobering national numbers on the scale of the disease. An estimated 7.4 million Americans are currently living with clinical Alzheimer's dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The organization's 2026 report also found that total annual costs of caring for people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias, excluding unpaid care, will reach a record $409 billion this year.
Unpaid Caregivers Shoulder Billions of Hours
Much of that care falls to family members rather than paid professionals. Nearly 13 million family members and friends provided more than 19 billion hours of unpaid care last year, the Alzheimer's Association reported. Despite widespread concern about cognitive health, the group's survey found that while nearly nine in 10 U.S. adults say maintaining brain health as they age is very important, only 9% say they know a lot about how to actually maintain it.
That gap between concern and knowledge is part of what events like the Nashville conference aim to close. Nearly three-quarters of adults say they would be interested in participating in programs designed to support brain health, according to the same Alzheimer's Association survey. The Alzheimer's Foundation of America says thousands of people across all 50 states have participated in its Educating Across America Tour conferences since the tour began.
How Nashville Families Can Register
Those interested in attending can register by visiting alzfdn.org/tour, and advance registration is highly recommended. AFA's events page also lists a registration form specifically for the 2026 Educating Across America Tour stop in Nashville. Organizers are positioning the free session as a resource for families navigating a diagnosis, whether they're just starting to ask questions or already deep into caregiving.
