[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12023-S12024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             ELLEN BERLINER

 Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, with more that 4 million Americans 
suffering from Alzheimer's disease at a cost to our society of more 
than $100 billion annually, it is time we take a moment to reflect on 
the work of those who are dedicating their energies to helping do 
something about this terrible disease.
  One of those people is Ellen Berliner. Ms. Berliner, who lives in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, took care of her husband with Alzheimer's 
disease for 13 years. For those of us who have not been a caregiver for 
an Alzheimer patient, it is difficult to comprehend what the experience 
is like. It has been described as the ``36 hour day'' or the ``endless 
funeral'' because the demands are greater and more stressful than what 
most of us can deal with in a normal 24 hour day, and the losses and 
emotional strain are enormous. Ms. Berliner, like so many other 
Americans, stepped up to the challenge of caregiving and performed 
courageously out of love for her husband and her family.
  But, Ms. Berliner didn't stop there. Drawing on her pain and 
struggles as a caregiver, she decided to do something to help others. 
In 1988, she helped create the Greater Pittsburgh chapter of the 
Alzheimer's Association and became its founding Board President. In the 
past ten years, she has contributed more than 16,000 hours of volunteer 
service to the chapter and to the families in the greater Pittsburgh 
area. She has developed support groups and services to help families. 
She has been active in advocacy to help improve the policies that 
affect the lives of families and people suffering from Alzheimer's. 
And, she has stuffed envelopes and made phone calls to help raise the 
necessary funds to support the work of this important charity.
  Ms. Berliner has a long history of community service. In 1974 she co-
founded the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. The 
center, which provides a safe haven for battered women, was one of the 
first in the nation. For her work with battered women and for other 
community services, Ms. Berliner was nominated for the Jefferson Award 
of the American Institute for Public Service in 1992. In 1996, Ms. 
Berliner received the ``New Person Award'' given by the Thomas Merton 
Center for People Over 70. The award is given in appreciation of 
lifelong works for peace and social justice.
  Mr. President, I bring Ms. Berliner to the attention of this body 
because I believe we should shine a light on the good works of our 
citizens, heroic work really, that is done without personal gain and 
with no desire for public recognition. Our nation has grown strong 
because of people like Ellen Berliner who use their own time and 
resources to make life a little better for the rest of us.
  So, I say ``thank you'' to Ms. Ellen Berliner for helping the people 
of Pittsburgh deal with the devastation caused by Alzheimer's disease, 
and for being a

[[Page S12024]]

role model to her peers and to future generations.

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