ALZHEIMER'S: Join the fight

I cared for my mom at my home in St. Maries. As one who attended the recent Alzheimer’s Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C., it’s encouraging to know we are making progress in the fight against this disease and other dementias.

Having been a caregiver/advocate for eight years, I feel very strongly about the importance of Alzheimer’s research, care planning for people following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and palliative and hospice care for patients in the end stage of dementia.

I care about this disease because of my mom, who dealt with this horrific disease until her death. I am now a support group facilitator for caregivers here in St. Maries helping others suffering the effects of this disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most expensive disease in America, costing more than $236 billion in 2016. Since none of the care provided slows the disease’s progression, precious lives and scarce resources are simply vanishing. To increase annual funding for National Institutes of Health research on Alzheimer’s — currently just below $1 billion — is a crucial investment. The Senate Appropriations Committee has just approved a bill adding $400 million to that figure. The House should do the same.

For those who have been diagnosed early, well informed financial, legal and medical planning drastically improves a dementia patient’s quality of life. For those in end stages, focusing on symptom management and reduction of pain and stress reduces unnecessary hospitalizations, sparing families trauma while saving public funds.

I urge Congressman Raul Labrador, Senator Jim Risch and Senator Mike Crapo to add $400 million for Alzheimer’s research. Thanks to Sen. Crapo for co-sponsoring the HOPE Alzheimer’s Act, which would improve post-diagnosis planning while saving Medicare dollars, and I ask his colleagues to join him.

DAWN COOK

St. Maries