Thank You Alzheimer’s Association

Posted on: 2016 03 31

Yesterday was the Alzheimer’s Awareness and Advocacy Day at the Vermont State House in Montpelier. As the daughter and former full-time caregiver to a parent with dementia, I would like to salute the efforts of the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for their work in putting together the Alzheimer’s Awareness and Advocacy Day at the Vermont State House. The Alzheimer's Association has been a resource of mine ever since my father was diagnosed with dementia. At the beginning, I mostly read about the basics: what is dementia, what are the types, what are the stages, what are the treatments, in other words what he was going through and would be going through.  Then I researched the caregiving and planning stage, in other words what I would be going through. Knowledge is power! Fast forward 5 years and now I am ready to use the Alzheimer’s Association as a resource for research and advocacy. Even though I have first-hand experience with the disease, these statistics were eye-opening for me. I think they are worth sharing. National:

• Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and as many as 16 million will have the disease in 2050.
• The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias is estimated to total $236 billion in 2016.
• Nearly one in every three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer's or another dementia.

Vermont:

• Alzheimer's disease and dementia currently affects 12,000 Vermonters.
• Alzheimer's disease and dementia are the 5th leading cause of death in Vermont.
• In 2015 Vermont Medicaid spent $90 million on Alzheimer's and dementia.
• $413 million is the value of unpaid care being provided by 30,000 Vermont family caregivers.

The statistics show that we are all affected. Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crises, in Vermont and across the nation. Yesterday made me realize we must try to make a difference.