PRINTER'S NO. 1447
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
253
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS AND HAYWOOD, NOVEMBER 24, 2015
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, NOVEMBER 24, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of November 2015 as "Alzheimer's Disease
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible degenerative
brain disorder affecting more than five million Americans; and
WHEREAS, As many as 400,000 Pennsylvanians have Alzheimer's
disease or a related disorder, ranking this Commonwealth fifth
in the nation in the occurrence of the disease; and
WHEREAS, We can expect the number of Pennsylvanians diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders to increase as
this Commonwealth's population ages; and
WHEREAS, There is no known cure for Alzheimer's and those
with the disease become increasingly reliant on caregivers
throughout the course of the disease; and
WHEREAS, Although 7% of Pennsylvania's nursing home beds are
dedicated to people with Alzheimer's disease, 70% of
Pennsylvanians with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders
live at home; and
WHEREAS, Informal caregivers, such as spouses, children,
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siblings and friends, provide the daily assistance that allows
these individuals to remain at home for as long as possible; and
WHEREAS, The focus of this year's "Alzheimer's Disease
Awareness Month" is on the impact of this disease on the
informal caregiver; and
WHEREAS, In 2014, 671,000 Pennsylvanians provided over 765
million hours of unpaid care to a loved one with Alzheimer's
disease or related disorders, saving the Commonwealth more than
$9.3 billion in care costs; and
WHEREAS, Nationally, more than 15 million Americans provide
unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's disease or related
disorders; and
WHEREAS, While the typical caregiver is a woman with a full-
time job and a family of her own to look after, an estimated
250,000 children between 8 and 18 years of age provide help to
someone with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders; and
WHEREAS, The demands and financial challenges of caregiving
create a great deal of stress for caregivers, which, in turn,
puts their health at risk; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease Planning
Committee, created to develop a State plan to address this
growing epidemic, finalized its report last year recommending
improvements in caregiver support; and
WHEREAS, A recurring concern when the planning committee was
conducting its research was the lack of caregiver support and
respite programs; and
WHEREAS, Respite eases the physical and emotional demands of
caregiving, helping to prevent caregiver burn-out and enabling
the care recipient to stay at home longer; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of November
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2015 as "Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That we take this time to realize the impact
Alzheimer's disease and related disorders place on our informal
caregivers and recognize their sacrifices and contributions to
caring for those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
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