Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act

Providing care for an individual living with dementia involves many unique and often challenging elements. As a caregiver and loved one of someone that suffered for 10 years with Alzheimer’s or dementia, I understand how complicated it is to navigate this health care maze.

When we started noticing changes in our mother’s behavior, we were unfamiliar with Alzheimer’s. Her doctors were treating her for depression. Eventually after some research, we suspected that our mother most likely had Alzheimer’s or some type of dementia. We never really had a doctor that explained the disease or how to manage her care. We could not have anticipated the challenges that lay ahead for the next 8 years.

After our father passed away and our mother’s progression with Alzheimer’s worsened, we knew, for her safety and wellbeing, we needed to move her to a long term care facility. Making the decision on who to trust with taking proper care of our mother was one of the most difficult decisions we have ever made. Not knowing who to reach out to for questions and guidance, our family did the best we could to care for our mother through this very complicated and frightening time of her life.

Thankfully, the bipartisan Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act (S.1125/ H.R.2517) would create a path to better dementia care and address shortcomings in the way dementia care is currently delivered. Because comprehensive dementia care has been shown to reduce costs while providing better quality care, this legislation would also call on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test a payment structure for dementia care management.

It is estimated that nearly 13 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s by 2050, so it is critical we find better ways to care for them. By enhancing the coordination of dementia care, we can lessen the burden for individuals and their caregivers while reducing health care costs.

Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in asking Representative Spartz to co-sponsor the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act. To learn more about this disease and how you can join the fight to end Alzheimer’s, visit alzimpact.org.