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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 23, 2013 03:12 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Steve Samuelson |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Co-Sponsorship of a resolution designating November 2013 as "Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Education Month" in Pennsylvania |
| MEMORANDUM TO: All House Members FROM: Rep. Steve Samuelson Rep. Katharine Watson Rep. William Kortz Rep. Tim Hennessey DATE: October 23, 2013 SUBJECT: Co-sponsorship of a resolution designating November 2013 as "Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Education Month" in Pennsylvania. In the near future, we will introduce a resolution designating November 2013 as "Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Education Month" in Pennsylvania. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible degenerative brain disorder affecting over 5 million Americans. While mostly associated with the elderly, Alzheimer's can also strike younger people in the prime of their lives; about four percent of those diagnosed are under the age of 65. Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation in the occurrence of the disease. Last year an estimated 667,000 Pennsylvanians provided over 750 million hours of unpaid care to a family member or loved one with Alzheimer's or a related disorder, saving the state more than $9 billion in care costs. Early detection is important as it allows patients to receive treatments that may help them remain independent longer and allows families receive the support they need to care for their loved one at home. However, stigmatization associated with Alzheimer's disease often prevents people from talking with their doctor. Raising awareness is the best way to reduce stigmatization of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Since factors associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease such as family history, stress, smoking obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension are also associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, public education efforts focused on improved hearth as our best defense against the disease are needed. If you would like to co-sponsor this resolution, please contact Jane Victor via email at jvictor@pahouse.net, by phone at 717-772-9854 or in-house direct line 6433. |
Introduced as HR557