Currently, one-third of seniors die with Alzheimer's or other dementia. Help us send a message that will be heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C.. Contact your representative and senators and ask them to take action on four key initiatives, including:
- Providing paid family and medical leave for dementia caregivers.
- Increasing funding for Alzheimer's research and public health programs.
- Making Alzheimer's prevention a national priority.
- Co-sponsoring the CHANGE Act to improve early detection of cognitive impairment.
Tell Congress to take action on these initiatives to help the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer's, their caregivers and their families. Dear [Decisionmaker],
As your constituent, I urge you to take action on four Alzheimer's initiatives that will make a difference in the lives of more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.
- Co-sponsor the CHANGE Act. Currently, one-third of seniors die with Alzheimer's or other dementia, diseases which cost the nation over $355 billion. Approximately 50 percent of patients with dementia are unrecognized in the primary care setting. The CHANGE Act would address this by directing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to require the use of detection tools identified by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) during the Annual Wellness Visit.
- Support an increase in funding for Alzheimer's research and key programs. Research and public health funding are critical to deepening our knowledge of and ability to respond to this disease. It is vital that Congress support an increase of $289 million in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia funding at the National Institutes of Health and allocate $60 million for the CDC's Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging Program.
- Establish paid family leave and medical leave for dementia caregivers. Millions of people have left the workforce to provide care during the pandemic, demonstrating the need for a national policy that helps families balance care and work. Congress should support paid family and medical leave for caregivers of older adults and individuals with serious medical issues such as Alzheimer's and related dementias.
- Make Alzheimer's prevention a national priority. Cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging, and instead, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of dementia. Please send a letter to Secretary Becerra to ask the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a national Alzheimer's disease prevention goal. Setting a specific, clear, and measurable goal can help our nation more effectively fight this disease.
These four initiatives are very important to me, and I urge you to support them on behalf of millions of Americans living with Alzheimer's, their caregivers and their families. I hope I can count on you to help make brain health and paid leave national priorities.
[Your Name]
