Help support the Alzheimer's Act

In 2007 my parents were in a head-on collision during my grandmother's funeral and my father was killed instantly. I quit my job to take care of my mother who has Alzheimer's. I cared for her for nine years before moving her into a personal care home. She is now 86 years old. I now volunteer and advocate for the Alzheimer's Association to help bring awareness to this disease.

We need to change the way we think about Alzheimer's disease. Too often Alzheimer's is treated as an aging issue ignoring the fact that someone in the U.S. develops this disease every 65 seconds. Two-thirds of its annual costs are being borne by Medicare and Medicaid.

As one of the 527,000 caregivers in Georgia of someone living with Alzheimer's, I understand the disease's impact and the physical and emotional costs.

Congress has a chance to take decisive action passing the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act (S. 2076/H.R.4256). Endorsed by the Alzheimer's Association, would create an Alzheimer's public health infrastructure across the country implementing effective interventions; increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in the U.S. costing more than $277 billion a year!

Join me in asking Sen. David Perdue and Sen Johnny Isakson to fight for the millions of Americans affected by Alzheimer's by sponsoring the Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act.

CONNIE D. MITCHELLHiawassee