To the editor:
There are more than 15 million Americans caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, including 68,000 here in Maine. I am one of those people.
My family and I care for my mother who has been living with the disease for four years now. As her mental faculties break down, her day-to-day tasks become more difficult thus needing more assistance. In addition to that, the hardest part for her and the family is that fewer and fewer people stop to visit. Almost as if they could catch the disease. Isolation is a reality for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers.
In addition to the human toll, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive condition in the nation, costing $236 billion a year. Nearly one in every five Medicare dollars is spent on people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. These costs will continue to increase as baby boomers age, soaring to more than $1 trillion in 2050.
Alzheimer’s is not only devastating but fatal. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the only cause of death among the top 10 without a way to prevent, stop or even slow its progression.
Thank you to Senator Bruce Poliquin and staff for meeting with our delegation to discuss the Alzheimer’s crisis. I hope we can count on your continued support. It is only through adequate funding and a strong implementation of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease that we will meet its goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s by 2025.
Michael Vittum
Brewer
