Posted: | April 21, 2015 12:29 PM |
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From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II and Rep. Katharine M. Watson |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Resolution Designating May 5, 2015, as “Alzheimer’s Awareness Action Day” in Pennsylvania |
In the near future, we plan on introducing a resolution designating May 5, 2015, as “Alzheimer’s Awareness Action Day” in Pennsylvania. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible degenerative brain disorder affecting more than five million Americans. While mostly associated with the elderly, Alzheimer's disease can also strike younger people in the prime of their lives, with about four percent of those diagnosed under the age of 65. Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease and by 2050 the diagnosis rate will increase to every 33 seconds. Alzheimer's disease is progressive, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. Although current treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's disease from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Last year, 671,000 Pennsylvanians provided more than 765 million hours of unpaid care to a family member or loved one with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, saving the State more than $9 billion in care costs. The Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease State Planning Committee was created in 2013 to develop a State plan to address this growing epidemic. In 2014, the committee issued its report recommending improving awareness, providing a continuum of care, enhancing support for caregivers, supporting research and promoting brain and cognitive fitness. Please consider joining us in improving awareness of this disease by designating May 5, 2015, as “Alzheimer’s Awareness Action Day” in Pennsylvania. |
Introduced as HR308