Senator Todd Young: Please Co-Sponsor This Care Act

Providing care for an individual living with dementia involves many unique challenges. An estimated 85% of individuals living with dementia are cared for by family and friends who are balancing other demands such as work, childcare, their own health issues, and relationships. As a research team member for a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, I hear the distress of Hoosier caregivers and see how having a dementia care coordinator as their guide could help them navigate our complicated health care maze. These family caregivers are serving as a safety net for the U.S. health system since their loved ones remain in the community instead of a nursing facility; a care coordinator could serve as the safety net that primary care can’t handle alone by providing dementia-specific support services such as medication management, transition planning, training, and referrals.

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 Senator Todd Young 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.