Support More Funding for Research to Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s

Dear editor,

This month, I participated in two events organized by the Alzheimer’s Association in which advocates from across Illinois engaged elected representatives in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and the experiences left me optimistic about the future; for Baby Boomers, Millennials and everyone in-between.

Certainly, the challenges facing our state and country are many, and the distance between the two major parties on many issues is extremely wide, but not when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease…it has no political affiliation.

Alzheimer’s disease may not seem like a political issue to many people reading this for a simple reason: it’s not. Independents, Republicans; Democrats; men; women; anyone with a brain can develop Alzheimer’s, and that’s why it must be addressed by policymakers immediately.

More than 5 million Americans (220,000 in Illinois) already suffer from this terrible disease, a number that is expected to triple by 2050. Since it is 100% fatal, with no treatment, prevention or cure available, and kills its victims slowly, it is already the most costly disease in our country annually. Medicare and Medicaid spent $163 billion on providing care for people with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015; in today’s dollars, annual expenditures will be more than $1 trillion in less than 35 years.

During the first week of this month, more than fifty of us from Illinois traveled to Washington DC to increase awareness of these facts and encourage lawmakers to act. Adam Kinzinger, who represents our area in Congress, has been very supportive of Alzheimer’s Association-backed legislation and disease research funding. At our meeting, we discussed legislation for which the Association recently announced its support that would expand the availability of hospice and palliative care across our country. We would greatly appreciate his signing on as a co-sponsor to H.R.3119.

One week later, in Springfield, nearly 200 advocates from Illinois came together to show our support for stronger consumer protections and community-based services for people and families facing Alzheimer’s disease. State Rep. Bob Pritchard graciously welcomed us to Springfield.

Let’s all put together on this, whatever your political belief…Alzheimer affects us all. Contact Adam Kinzinger today — kinzinger.house.gov, ask him to support more funding for research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Contact Rep. Bob Pritchard — Bob@pritchardstaterep.com, ask him to support House bill 4524. This Act will implement minimum training standards for all residential and community –based programs that hold themselves out to offer dementia care.

Jerry Helland
Genoa, Il