Letter to the Editor

Recently, I had a letter-to-the-editor published in one of the local papers.  It was heavily "edited for space," so here is the article in its entirety (*note, the facts included in the text are from the Alzheimer's Association website):

Alzheimer’s is Not Just for “Old-Timers”

The Alzheimer’s Association recently released new information on the growing problem of Alzheimer’s in America.  The disease is already being referred to as an “epidemic” as the Baby Boomers continue to age.  In fact, the Association predicted that Alzheimer’s will overshadow Vietnam, civil rights activism, the Hippy movement, and several other significant activities to become the defining characteristic of the Boomer Generation. 

My mother was diagnosed with earlier-onset Alzheimer’s a few years ago at the age of 54.  As a woman in my twenties, caring for my mother is not how I envisioned spending adulthood, but I am not alone.  In Nebraska, an estimated 37,000 people over the age of 65 had the disease in 2010.  This number represents the diagnosed cases, but not the estimated thousands of state residents who are undiagnosed, nor those under 65.

Though these are daunting numbers, we are currently in a unique situation to get active.  In January of this year, Republicans and Democrats in Congress unanimously passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which was signed into law by President Obama in January.  NAPA seeks to address the growing crisis of Alzheimer’s by creating a strategic plan.  In order to do so, feedback from the public is vital.  Over the next few weeks, town-hall meetings have been arranged in eastern Nebraska (and across the country) as a way to assess the needs of people living with the disease, caregivers, and families. Information gathered will go straight to Washington to help policy-makers coordinate federal agencies that deal with Alzheimer’s-related care.

This disease is fatal, and just as frightening is the knowledge that so many Nebraskans are facing it already.  Please consider attending one of these meetings or sending stories and concerns to the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter.  During this time of political friction, one thing that everyone can agree on is this:  we need to end Alzheimer’s, and we can only do so together.