Acknowledging National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

Floor Speech

Ms. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ 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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