The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) is being touted as the “largest legislative victory in many years for the Alzheimer cause.”
The Alzheimer’s Association persisted in its battle to pass the critical legislation. Congress unanimously approved the legislation, and President Obama has signed off. According to this celebratory article, the victory was the result of a concerted effort by many individuals orginizations, and reportedly included about 50,000 emails, 10,000 telephone calls, and 1,000 meetings!
Once NAPA is in full-swing, our nation will have what Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius refers to as an “aggressive and coordinated national strategy” to combat the Alzheimer’s Disease crisis.
Once NAPA is in full-swing, our nation will have what Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius refers to as an “aggressive and coordinated national strategy” to combat the Alzheimer’s Disease crisis.
To celebrate this legislation, we’ve consolidated some of our most popular articles over the years on the Alzheimer cause.
Article: New Hope for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s: Plus, Unlikely Team of Players Unite to Battle Disease
Excerpt: “[D]espite the disease’s prevalence, there are already two positive developments in 2011. First, researchers seem excited about a new means to predict — and perhaps one day to diagnose — the disease with certainty in the living. Second, an unlikely team of players has unified on the front lines…”
Excerpt: “This grant funding to Virginia’s Medicaid system comes with high hopes and great expectations. The over $2 million in funding will be used to bolster services for two key underprivileged groups – the elderly and the disabled . . . [one such service is] in-home support services for sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Excerpt: “Although most of the conditions on the revised list are rare, of tremendous importance for the aging population is the fact that the SSA has now included Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Mixed Dementia, and Primary Progressive Aphasia among the new fast-track conditions, meaning that people who are diagnosed with any of these conditions can now receive disability benefits very quickly.”
Excerpt: “‘[The use of] biomarkers to identify elderly persons at risk of developing dementia could be useful for early prevention, if and when such interventions are available, and treatment,’ the author of the study explained.”
Image Credit: Photographer: renjith krishnan
About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
