Congress Must Continue Prioritizing Alzheimer's & All Other Dementias

I am my mother’s voice, because she has vascular dementia. Dementia has slowly taken over her once dynamic personality. She is now confined to a wheelchair and has to be fed, so I am an Advocate with Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, working with my Representative, Mike Quigley, in an effort to prevent other families from having to watch the cognitive decline of a loved one from Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

After a decade of securing historic increases in research funding, we are in a new era of the fight against Alzheimer’s, but we cannot stop now. We need Congress, including Congressman Quigley, who is a member of the Committee on Appropriations, to stay committed to investing in Alzheimer’s and dementia research by supporting our request of $318 million in dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2025.

Alzheimer’s and other dementias are an urgent public health issue. In 2024, caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the United States an estimated $360 billion. Cumulatively between 2024 and 2050, costs are projected to total more the $18 trillion (in 2024 dollars).

I am grateful Congressman Quigley has been a long-time champion in our fight and look forward to his continued support when finalizing the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. Together, we can bring an end to this devasting disease.

To learn more about the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementias, visit alzimpact.org.