Collins, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Training, Support Services for Families, Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act. This bipartisan legislation would expand training and support services for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“Millions of Americans devote enormous time and attention and make many personal and financial sacrifices to ensure that their loved ones have the high-quality care they need day in and day out. These individuals know all too well the compassion, commitment, and endurance that it takes to be a caregiver of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan legislation would help expand the availability of resources and training services for family caregivers to ensure they can continue to provide quality care for their loved ones.”
“Watching a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s or related dementia is heartbreaking—and we need to make sure those caring for family members have the resources and support they need,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill will expand training and support services for family caregivers to improve their well-being and health. It will also allow patients to stay in the comfort of their homes longer, improving their quality of life.”
More than six million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2050 that number is expected to grow to 13 million. The nearly 11 million caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias report higher levels of stress and depression than those who provide care to individuals without dementia, which resulted in $11.4 billion in additional health costs for Alzheimer’s caregivers in 2017.
This bipartisan legislation would authorize grants to public and non-profit organizations to expand training and support services that improve caregiver health and delay long-term care facility admissions by keeping loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in their homes longer.
As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured $3.1 billion for Alzheimer’s research, an increase of $300 million over the previous year, in the most recent government funding package. This increase in funding keeps our nation on track to reach the national goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by the year 2025.
In 2018, Congress passed and the President signed into law Senator Collins’ Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, which authorized $100 million over five years to develop a public health approach that will improve prevention, treatment, and care for Alzheimer’s disease.
