Congress takes BOLD action on Alzheimer's!

Congress took decisive action passing the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076). Endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer's interventions including increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

The BOLD Act was introduced in November of 2017 and quickly gained bi-partisan support as Alzheimer’s advocates across the country shared their stories with legislators. The BOLD Act passed the Senate thirteen months later on December 12th and was passed/agreed on in the House December 19th. It is expected to be signed into law in the next few days.

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the U.S. and impacts over 5.7 million Americans that are diagnosed with it, not to mention their multitude of care partners. Utilizing the existing public health infrastructure to increase awareness of the disease, creating centers for excellence around the country and collecting data will improve early and accurate diagnosis. This step will lead to reduced costs of care and improved quality of life for those diagnosed with the disease. The Alzheimer's Association provides care and support locally, free of charge, to those who are in need. You can learn more at www.alz.org.

In the 6th district, Rep. Karen Handel supported this legislation by signing on as a co-sponsor and voting YES on the legislation when it came to the House fllor. Please join me in thanking Congress, especially, Rep. Handel for taking BOLD action to address Alzheimer’s and other dementias in our country.

-MaryLea B. Quinn, Chamblee resident