According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Facts and Figures, more than 220,000 Ohioans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 5.7 million nationwide.

While Alzheimer’s has traditionally been seen as an aging issue, Alzheimer’s is a public health issue because the burden is large, the impact is major, and there are ways to intervene.

I want to thank U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson for being among the first of Ohio’s legislators to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act.

This critical legislation would establish Alzheimer’s centers of excellence across the country, provide funding to public health departments to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions, and increase data collection, analysis and reporting to measure progress and help identify opportunities for public health interventions.

On behalf of our shared constituents, and all those impacted by this disease either personally, professionally, in their families, or in their community, we extend our gratitude, and we encourage all those in need of care to contact our free 24/7 help line: 800.272.3900.

 

Cheryl Kanetsky, LSW, MBA
Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, Greater East Ohio Area Chapter