Tell Congress: Act in the Fight to End Alzheimer's Disease

Anyone who knows someone facing Alzheimer's disease understands just how devastating it can be and how large a toll it takes on caregivers.

But despite the tremendous strain this disease has on families' emotional and financial resources, our country is still not treating it as the public health crisis it is.

In fact, according to former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, "Alzheimer's is the most under-recognized threat to public health in the 21st century."

But there is action we can take today. The new, bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256) would create a much-needed Alzheimer's public health infrastructure to address Alzheimer's. This critical legislation would establish Alzheimer's centers of excellence across the country, provide funding to public health departments to implement effective Alzheimer's interventions, increase data collection, analysis and reporting to measure progress, and help identify opportunities for public health interventions.

It's time to take real action to protect people facing Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.

Add your name to send a message to your representative and join the fight for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act to increase early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's, reduce risk and prevent avoidable hospitalizations.
Dear [Representativel],

I write today as your constituent to ask you to cosponsor an important new bipartisan bill, the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act (S. 2076/H.R.4256). This legislation seeks to strengthen our nation's approach to Alzheimer's by making it a public health priority.

[Your comment will be added here]

Former Surgeon General and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. David Satcher recently said, "Alzheimer's is the most under-recognized threat to public health in the 21st century." More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's and, without significant action, as many as 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer's by 2050. Today, another person develops the disease every 66 seconds; by 2050, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds. This explosive growth will cause Alzheimer's costs to increase from an estimated $259 billion in 2017 to $1.1 trillion in 2050 (in 2017 dollars). These mounting costs threaten to bankrupt families, businesses and our health care system.

As scientists continue to search for a way to prevent, cure, or slow the progression of Alzheimer's through medical research, public health plays an important role in promoting cognitive function and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. Investing in a nationwide Alzheimer's public health response will help create population-level change, achieve a higher quality of life for those living with the disease and their caregivers, and reduce associated costs.

The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act would provide this crucial investment by establishing Alzheimer's centers of excellence across the country and funding public health departments to increase early detection and diagnosis, reduce risk, prevent avoidable hospitalizations, reduce health disparities, support the needs of caregivers and support care planning for people living with the disease. These important public health actions allow individuals with Alzheimer's to live in their homes longer and delay costly institutionalized care. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act would also increase the collection, analysis and timely reporting of cognitive decline and caregiving data. This data is critical to identifying opportunities for public health interventions, helping stakeholders track progress in the public health response, and enabling state and federal policymakers to make informed decisions when developing plans and policies.

Thank you for your continued leadership on legislation important to Americans with Alzheimer's and other dementias, and to their caregivers. I look forward to your support of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
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