TOLEDO, Ohio — Welltower Inc. (NYSE: HCN), the largest healthcare REIT in the U.S. by market cap, has launched the Welltower Foundation with the goal of improving quality of life for seniors.
The foundation’s first action was to give a $250,000 grant to the Alzheimer’s Association in support of the nonprofit’s “Brain Ball” event, which raises awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and money for research.
“The launch of the Welltower Foundation is a natural extension of our focus on helping people live well as they age,” says Erin Ibele, president of the Welltower Foundation. “We are honored that our first action will be to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to help raise the awareness and funds vital to tackling Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on society.”
The Alzheimer’s Association recently named Tom DeRosa, Welltower’s CEO, as the Brain Ball’s national honoree. DeRosa’s father died of complications from Alzheimer’s.
“More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and that number is expected to triple by 2050,” says Donna McCullough, chief development officer for the Alzheimer’s Association. “Our society and healthcare infrastructure need to be equipped to deal with the challenges of a growing number of people developing Alzheimer’s.”