[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ADVOCATING FOR THOSE WITH ALZHEIMER'S AND 
                                DEMENTIA

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. MICHAEL G. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
letter by Michael Ellenbogen.

       I am so thankful to be still here. Many of my friends who 
     were living with dementia have died and others are no longer 
     capable of speaking. I am one of the lucky ones. My 
     Alzheimer's is progressing very slowly. While that is good 
     news it is also bad news. I will be forced to endure the 
     worst part of this disease even longer than most. Knowing 
     what I know now that will be like being tortured until I die. 
     While I try to stay positive these days and live life to the 
     fullest, I am in pain every day from the frustration of not 
     being able to be the person I was once. I continue to decline 
     in to a childlike state.
       Dementia, including Alzheimer's, is the most expensive 
     disease we face. It is costing us more than heart disease and 
     cancer. It is the third cause of death in the United States; 
     more than 500,000 people die from Alzheimer's each year! We 
     all get caught up in the big numbers, so I will break them 
     down so they are more relatable.
       41,666 is the average monthly death rate;
       9,615 is the average weekly death rate;
       1,369 is the average daily death rate;
       57 is the average hourly death rate.
       This is equivalent to almost three 747s crashing every day. 
     Yet there is much neglect and discrimination regarding 
     funding for Alzheimer's and related dementia research.
       Preventative measures for breast cancer, heart disease and 
     HIV have all made tremendous progress since the federal 
     government made significant investments into research. 
     Comparable investments must be made for dementia so we can 
     accomplish the same successes, while saving millions of lives 
     and trillions of dollars.
       If we don't act now this disease has the potential to 
     bankrupt this county. This is the most expensive disease in 
     America. In 2016 $236 billion will be spent on Alzheimer's in 
     terms of care and medication, with Medicaid and Medicare 
     spending $160 billion. And unless you take action, the cost 
     to Medicare alone will increase 365 percent to $589 billion 
     by 2050.
       Our investment today will lead to huge savings for the 
     government and public, not to mention the lives saved. People 
     with dementia are faced with discrimination at many levels 
     and they lose their civil rights. That must change; we are 
     still people and deserve to be treated as such. A person with 
     cancer would never be treated the way we are. We need you to 
     start making more of an effort to educate the public and 
     restore our rights.
       A few years ago I would have said I had no hope, but that 
     has changed to 2.5 percent. I do believe we are closer to a 
     cure today based on what has been learned from all the 
     failures. I am so grateful that the budget has been increased 
     to $991 million, but that is still far short of the two 
     billion dollars that was said was needed years ago.
       In my opinion we need a czar for dementia just like Vice 
     President Joe Biden is to cancer and it sure worked for HIV. 
     We are definitely at the tipping point. You have the power to 
     make this happen. Please, I implore the House of 
     Representatives, the Senate and the respective appropriations 
     committees: Make the hard choices; increase funding for 
     Alzheimer's disease by at least one billion dollars. Do 
     everything necessary to ensure that Alzheimer's disease gets 
     the exposure, commitment and funding necessary to change the 
     course of the disease.
       If you have not yet been touched by this devastating and 
     debilitating disease it's just a matter of time.
           Regards,
     Michael Ellenbogen,
       (Advocate for all of those living with dementia, who can no 
     longer speak, write, or have passed).

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