Declare Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Senate Resolution No. 2376 BY: Senator RIVERA MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim November 2020, as Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Family Caregiver Month WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official months dedicated to raising awareness of serious diseases impacting the lives of citizens of New York State; and WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is a type of dementia that results in issues with memory, thinking, behavior, and other cognitive function; and WHEREAS, While the symptoms of Alzheimer's develop slowly, they worsen over time and their severity comes to hinder an individual's ability to carry out daily tasks; and WHEREAS, It is important to note that Alzheimer's is not solely a disease of old age, as approximately 200,000 Americans under the age of

65 have younger-onset Alzheimer's disease; and WHEREAS, At present, roughly 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and the Alzheimer's Association predicts that this number will rise to roughly 14 million by 2050; and WHEREAS, In 2015, 3,174 New Yorkers died from Alzheimer's disease; and WHEREAS, It is estimated that 400,000 New Yorkers are currently living with Alzheimer's disease; the New York State Coalition of the Alzheimer's Association projects that by 2025, this number will increase to 460,000 New Yorkers aged 65 and older (a 15% increase); and WHEREAS, The New York State Coalition of the Alzheimer's Association estimates that there are 1,028,000 Alzheimer's and dementia unpaid caregivers in New York State, and that in 2017, they provided 1.2 billion hours of care valued at $14.8 billion; in 2017, unpaid dementia caregivers themselves had $881 million in higher health care costs than non-caregivers; and WHEREAS, It is estimated that in 2019, Alzheimer's cost Medicaid more than $5.037 billion in New York State, and that Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost the United States $277 billion; by 2050, these costs could rise as high as $1.1 trillion in the United States; and WHEREAS, Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial to improving both health outcomes and cost savings, as early diagnosis not only helps individuals avoid or correct contributing medical problems, initiate available therapy, organize current and future care, and enhance self-determination, but also, could result in savings of up to $7.9 trillion in medical and care costs in the nation; and WHEREAS, In 2003, National Memory Screening Day was established by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) as a collaborative effort with local organizations and health care professionals across the country to promote awareness, early detection, and early diagnosis of memory impairment, so that individuals can obtain proper medical treatment, social services and other resources related to their condition; and WHEREAS, Since the demand and need for screenings exists year-round, AFA expanded the program by creating the Community Memory Screening and Awareness-Raising Education (C.A.R.E.S.) program to encourage local sites nationwide to host a memory screening event multiple times throughout the year; and WHEREAS, Memory screenings are a safe and cost-effective intervention to direct at-risk individuals to appropriate clinical resources, thus reducing the costs of long-term care or hospitalization resulting from undiagnosed complications; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim November 2020, as Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Caregiver Month, and to encourage all New Yorkers to make an effort to learn more about Alzheimer's disease and the ways in which they can delay or manage its occurrence; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York; the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association; and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.