Frelinghuysen to Speak at Alzheimer's Town Hall Wednesday

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) will attend and give remarks at a town hall meeting held by the Alzheimer's Association at the at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The town hall meeting is one of over 130 such meetings the Alzheimer's Association will hold this September in commemoration of World Alzheimer's Month.

Laura Holly-Dierbach, the vice president of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer's Association's Greater New Jersey Chapter, said, "We really are hoping that Congressman Frelinghuysen can hear the constituents from his area talk about their personal experiences with this disease as caregivers, and people in the earlier stages of the disease will also be there sharing their stories."

Among the items for discussion at the town hall is the nation's first National Alzheimer's Plan, which was released by the Department of Health and Human Services in May. 

"Congressman Frelinghuysen will be there tonight talking about [the plan] from the Federal perspective," Holly-Dierbach said.

The plan's five goals are:

• to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's by 2025;
• to enhance care quality and efficiency;
• to expand support for people with Alzheimer's and their families;
• to enhance public awareness and engagement;
• and to improve data to track progress.

Holly-Dierbach said Frelinghuysen has voiced his support for the plan in the past. "He knows it is a grave concern for many of his constituents," she said.

The Alzheimer's Association seeks $100 million from Congress to support the plan.

"The greatest risk factor is aging," Holly-Dierbach said. "By the time you're 80, almost one in two people develop the disease."

According to information provided by Holly-Dierbach, as many as 350,000 New Jersey residents, and 5.4 million people nationally, live with Alzheimer's disease. The direct costs for caring for those with Alzheimer's is $200 billion nationally.

By 2050, the national number of people with Alzheimer's could be as great as 16 million. Costs of caring for those with Alzheimer's could grow to an estimated $1.1 trillion by the same year.

The disease is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the US.