The End of Alzheimer's Starts with Congress

As the 115th Congress begins to work on behalf of the American people, I want to shed light on an issue I believe we can all agree deserves our attention, regardless of our place on the political spectrum.

Right now, more than 5.4 million people in our country have Alzheimer’s disease. It is the only disease in the top ten causes of death for which no prevention, treatment, or cure exists. Many people are also surprised to learn that the federal government will spend more than $160 billion this year caring for people with Alzheimer’s and as our population ages, we only expect this number to climb.

Here in Illinois 220,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's disease and 600,000 serve as caregivers. This means that nearly 8% of the state's population is living this experience daily.

However there is hope; with the support of Congress, we can secure the research funding needed to find the first survivor of this terrible disease. As an Alzheimer’s Association advocate, I work with other volunteers to build support at the federal level to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The National Institutes of Health indicate that about $2 billion per year is needed to make the inroads necessary to find a cure or treatment to significantly slow the progression. I am very committed to this cause, as I saw first-hand how emotionally and financially draining it is when you have a loved one suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. My father was a veteran, husband, photographer and he enjoyed life, but sadly, Alzheimer’s stole his senior years and impacted the lives of his loved ones.

10th District Congressman Brad Schneider recently met with our constituent advocate team and expressed his support our efforts in Washington. I want to thank him for his commitment and welcome him back to the 10th District. With advocates like Congressman Schneider, we can help #ENDALZ together.

If you want to get more involved with the fight to #ENDALZ visit, www.alz.org/illinois.

Andrea F.

Buffalo Grove