Alzheimer’s Advocate Introduces Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, Caregivers, Face of Alzheimer's, Washington

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alzheimers, brenda bouchard, candidates on alzheimers, hillary clinton on alzheimers, honoring ken, stop alzheimers by 2025

Photo courtesy of Brenda Bouchard – Clinton meeting Brenda’s mother, Cecile.

Our friend, Brenda Bouchard, has been busy since last summer attending every New Hampshire Town Hall she could get to. She has addressed 13 of the 2016 presidential candidates, asking how they plan to attack Alzheimer’s if they’re elected (click here for clips of some of those town hall meetings).

Photo courtesy of Brenda Bouchard – From left: Brenda’s sister, Brenda, their mother, Secretary Clinton, Brenda’s daughter, Briana.

Bouchard was recently asked to introduce Hillary Clinton at a Portsmouth, NH, town hall. Clinton then opened the meeting by discussing her proposed plan to end Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Regardless of political persuasion, I think all of us touched by this horrific disease can agree – how extraordinary to see this issue on the national stage during an election year!

Thank you, Brenda, for your significant role in sparking the conversation and keeping it going! You’re an inspiring example of the difference one person can make!

$350 Million Closer to 2025

26 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, Helpful Resources, Research, Washington

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alzheimers, Alzheimers advocacy, alzheimers funding, alzheimers research, dementia

Photo Credit: Andrew Magill / Flickr

As you may have heard, a massive spending bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last week. The bill includes a $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s research and an additional $85 million for the BRAIN Initiative.

We know we have a long way to go if we’re to meet one of NAPA’s fundamental goals: Prevent and effectively treating Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025. We’ll need to see more increases – for FY ’17 and beyond – but this is a big step in the right direction!

NIH director Francis Collins called the funding bill “the most encouraging budget outcome in 12 years,” adding that the increase “comes at just the right time to take advantage of remarkable opportunities to improve human health, powered by dramatic advances in scientific knowledge and technological innovation.”
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Alzheimer’s Hope & Merry Christmas!

24 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, Early Onset, Inspiration, Washington

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2016 election, Alzheimers advocacy, alzheimers awareness, alzheimers funding, alzheimers research, dementia

We-Can-Do-It-Rosie-The-Riveter-Poster As many of you know, last week, Congress passed the omnibus bill which included $350 million in additional funding for Alzheimer’s. This brings our funding to just below $900 million – which, while still woefully under what is spent on the other major diseases – is a vast improvement.

Hillary Clinton has now made Alzheimer’s a campaign issue and is the only candidate who has a solid plan for addressing this disease that WILL bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid if we sit back and do nothing (or don’t move quickly enough).

I just got some news about an upcoming town hall the Clinton campaign is holding next week in Portsmouth, NH, and it sounds like Alzheimer’s will also be spotlighted there. Portsmouth has a population of 21,000 and there are between 15 and 20 Younger Onset caregiver spouses in their local support group. That’s a massive number for such a small community – and those are only YOUNGER onset – age 65 and younger.

I was in the car today thinking about all of this, and it gave me chills. Back in 2004, when we realized Mom’s “symptoms” were more than normal aging, you barely heard the “A” word uttered. In 2015, it’s a Presidential campaign issue. Our voices ARE being heard. If you’re an advocate – keep doing what you’re doing. We’re chipping away at this, and brilliant researchers like Rudy Tanzi (named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015) and Reisa Sperling are so ready to find the answers we’ve been looking for for such a long time!

Last but not least, thank you for reading The Long and Winding Road. I am truly grateful for each and every visitor to this site and I would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. I’ll leave you with what was always my mom’s favorite Christmas song…