Protect People with Dementia from Elder Abuse!

We all know someone who has been touched by Alzheimer's or dementia, and today I am writing to protect this vulnerable group. As many of you may know, Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. As the disease advances through the brain, an individual may experience difficulty with remembering newly learned information, confusion with time or place, decreased or poor judgement, and changes in mood or personality. As someone who has witnessed many of my friends care for their loved ones with dementia and as a dedicated advocate of those affected by this disease, I know how important it is to recognize and understand this population's unique needs.

The loss of cognition associated with Alzheimer’s not only deems individuals unable to advocate for themselves, it also heightens their risk for experiencing elder abuse. Given the growing number of people living with dementia, social services and criminal justice professionals will increasingly encounter this vulnerable group, and working with them can be fundamentally different than working with other victims of abuse or exploitation. Yet these professionals receive little or no training, and I implore Congress to change this.

By co-sponsoring and passing the bipartisan Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act (S. 3703/H.R. 6813), our Representative Chuy Garcia can improve elder abuse training to specifically include dementia. If passed, the Department of Justice would ensure these professionals are educated and equipped to properly communicate with and protect victims of elder abuse living with Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

Please join me in asking Congressman Garcia to co-sponsor and pass this vital legislation as we work together to protect the more than 5 million American’s living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Thank you for your support in this fight!

Basil Ward

Chicago, IL 60647