[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 143 (Thursday, November 20, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ACKNOWLEDGING NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2014

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
support and recognition of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness 
Month. Alzheimer's is a disease that now afflicts more than five 
million people in our nation and one of them is my father, Ignacio. It 
is a heart-breaking disease that affects every member of the family, 
community, and country.
  As someone whose father suffers from this debilitating illness, I am 
acutely aware of the pain and hardship that Alzheimer's inflicts not 
just on my family but on society as well. In 2014, the direct costs of 
caring for those with Alzheimer's will total $214 billion, including 
$150 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. Unfortunately, this 
situation is only going to get worse. The number of Americans living 
with Alzheimer's is projected to grow to sixteen million and the costs 
of caring for these people will grow to $1.2 trillion by 2050.
  This November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, a time 
to be mindful of the struggles that families face in caring for loved 
ones with this disease. It is also a time to raise awareness, support, 
and outreach for those confronted with Alzheimer's disease and for 
their families. These efforts will help increase community awareness 
and understanding to better equip us as a nation to face this disease.
  This Thanksgiving break I will visit my father, whose hands never 
lost their memory, and I will give thanks that those hands helped shape 
my life. This is why I am committed to finding a cure and calling for 
increased funding for Alzheimer's research at the National Institute of 
Health. It is my hope that a commitment to research and improving 
treatments will one day rid us Alzheimer's disease entirely.

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