[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 181 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1528-E1529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RAISING AWARENESS TO ALZHEIMER'S

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2018

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the 
heavy toll that Alzheimer's exacts on those who are unfortunate enough 
to suffer from the disease, the impacts to their family and loved ones, 
and to the American people. This devastating disease greatly erodes the 
sufferers' standard of living, strains their finances, and can place an 
enormous burden on those who care for them. However, despite these 
troubling realities, it is my hope that through raising awareness and 
increasing research funding we can lower the number of Americans that 
suffer with this disease and prevent its dire consequences.
  The most common form of Dementia in America is Alzheimer's. There are 
about 5.7 million Americans living with the disease and 110,000 in 
Georgia alone, age 65 and older. Far from being a disease limited to 
the elderly though, approximately 200,000 Americans younger than age 65 
are living with younger onset Alzheimer's (also known as early-onset). 
But at any age, an Alzheimer's diagnosis is extremely tragic.
  As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, Alzheimer's can also cause severe 
financial burdens, not only for the patient but for their families and 
caregivers as well. Currently, 16.1 million Americans are providing 
unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or another dementia. These 
caregivers provided approximately 18.4 billion hours of care last year 
valued at more than $232 billion. We here in Congress must do more to 
support those patients and caregivers.
  Mr. Speaker, African American elders are two to three times more 
likely to have Alzheimer's disease compared with whites and research 
shows that older Hispanics are about one-and-a-half times as likely as 
older whites to develop Alzheimer's and other dementias. So it is 
imperative that we educate these communities on warning signs of the 
disease, so that they will have a better understanding of the impact of 
a diagnosis, and are better positioned to seek the opinion of medical 
experts and to plan and prepare for the future.
  Despite the potential for tragic outcomes, there is reason for 
optimism. We can and should continue to fund Alzheimer's research, and 
to support patients and caregivers as they seek treatment for this 
condition. Even though the cause of Alzheimer's is still unclear, the 
damaging effects it has on people are. So please Mr. Speaker, I ask you 
and the rest of our colleagues to join me while we raise awareness of 
this terrible illness, and seek to support those around the country who 
are touched by it.

[[Page E1529]]

  

                          ____________________