About two dozen Alzheimer’s and dementia care advocates headed to Albany this week to lobby for more support in treating the disease. Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day coincided with the release of the Alzheimer’s Association 2019 Facts and Figures Report, which was shared with elected officials to help paint the bleak picture of what New York families are dealing with.
Peter Karris, of West Hempstead, was among the volunteer advocates that boarded a six a.m. bus in Lake Success to share his personal Alzheimer’s story with elected officials. Karris’ mother was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease while he was living in San Diego. On a visit home in the fall of 2018, Karris noticed a rapid decline in his mother. “She hit a wall. She stopped walking, talking and eating. Seeing this decline firsthand, I flew back to California, packed up my car and drove back to Long Island,” he said.
Karris’ mother is currently living at Parker Jewish Institute in New Hyde Park and he visits with her almost daily. A self-proclaimed momma’s boy growing up, he shared the story of hiding in his mother’s car when she left for work and popped up after the hour-long commute. “I definitely love my mom,” he said. “She was a single mother to me and my siblings and now it’s our turn to take care of her.”
His words did not fall on deaf ears. Joseph Erdman, legislative director for Sen. Anna Kaplan (7th district), detailed his own mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. The two swapped stories and discussed ways that our legislators can support the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Karris knows he is not alone in this. An estimated 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s dementia, including 400,000 in New York. Over one million people provide informal, unpaid care in this state alone.
“The numbers are staggering,” said Ann Healey, communications manager for the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter. “Alzheimer’s continues to be the most expensive disease in the country and will cost $290 billion this year. In addition, death rates due to Alzheimer’s have risen 145 percent since 2000 while deaths for most other major disease have decreased.”
To read the full fact and figures report, go to www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures-2019-r.pdf.
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Over five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 14 million will have the disease by 2050. It’s the nation’s most expensive disease at $290 billion.
The Alzheimer’s Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
