It is time we change our thinking on Alzheimer’s disease. Too often Alzheimer’s is treated as an aging issue, ignoring the public health consequences of a disease that someone in the U.S. develops every 66 seconds. And with two-thirds of its annual costs being borne by Medicare and Medicaid, it is one that demands more attention from our government.
As someone who has lost a spouse to Alzheimer’s disease, I understand the disease’s impact on families dealing with the physical and emotional costs of the disease
Congress has a chance to take decisive action passing the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256). Endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions including increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.
Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the U.S. Alzheimer’s costs the country more than $259 billion a year, which is why we need the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. If we are going to end Alzheimer’s disease, then we must start treating it like the public health threat it is.
Join me in asking Representative Drew Ferguson to fight for the millions of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s by sponsoring the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Visit the Alzheimer’s Association at ALZ.org or call 800-272-3900 to learn more and get involved with the fight against Alzheimer’s.
Jacqueline Miller
Peachtree City, Ga.
