Alzheimer’s advocates from Georgia advocate in nation’s capital

ATLANTA — The Alzheimer’s Association chapter in Georgia will join more than 1,000 advocates from around the country through Tuesday in Washington, D.C., for the Alzheimer’s Association AIM Advocacy Forum.

The forum is an advocacy event meant to raise awareness and increase legislative support for policies to improve the lives of 5.8 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 150,000 individuals and their 533,000 caregivers in Georgia.

Georgia advocates will be on Capitol Hill for meetings with U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, and his staff to discuss the real-life impact of legislative policies focused on providing researchers, health care professionals, caregivers and individuals with the educational tools and resources necessary to meaningfully combat Alzheimer’s disease.

“When meeting with Congressman Bishop, I will emphasize that I am but one of thousands in Georgia and millions across the country who are fighting Alzheimer’s on the frontlines, every day,” Janet Bussey, a District 2 resident and Alzheimer’s advocate, said. “In the Second District, we are fortunate to have a representative that understands the urgency of taking consistent and definitive actions necessary to fight this wicked disease.”

In particular, advocates will urge their members of Congress to support $350 million in federal funding for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health, where — despite historic increases since the passage of the 2010 National Alzheimer’s Project Act — researchers report current funding falls far short of what is needed to ensure the disease no longer ranks as the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Advocates will also call on Congress to appropriate $20 million in fiscal year 2020 to fund the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, the amount considered necessary to effectively implement the legislation that was signed into law on Dec. 31 of last year.

The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act is meant to create public health infrastructure to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions — including increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

“The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence to expand and promote effective Alzheimer’s interventions by providing state and local public health departments with the funding and resources needed to promote cognitive health and disease awareness, while also supporting the needs of caregivers and individuals living with the disease across Georgia and the country,” Alzheimer’s Association Georgia Chapter Executive Director Linda Davidson said.

Officials said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing implementation of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Determinations on awards for the Centers of Excellence and grants to public health departments cannot happen until the fiscal year 2020 funds are appropriated by Congress.

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the country, costing an estimated $290 billion this year. Collectively, Medicare and Medicaid are expected to cover $195 billion, $146 billion and $49 billion, respectively, or 67 percent, of the total health care and long-term care payments for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Officials said this represents an increase of $9 billion from last year. This also means Alzheimer’s costs taxpayers more than $22 million every hour.

“Our members of Congress have the opportunity to support their constituents and fellow Americans in this fight by funding research to uncover Alzheimer’s treatment breakthroughs and, one day, a cure; as well as by enhancing care and support services for people living with the disease and their loved ones,” Bussey said.

To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association AIM Advocacy Forum, visit alz.org/forum.