2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 109
BY SENATOR WALSWORTH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To recognize May 27, 2015, as "Alzheimer's Awareness Day" at the state capitol and
expresses the continued support of the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force's
Final Report and the implementation of its recommendations.
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is a fatal degenerative disease of the brain that
impairs cognitive function, memory, and behavior; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United
States, and the fifth leading cause of death for those over sixty-five years of age; and
WHEREAS, over five million people nationwide have Alzheimer's disease, including
approximately eighty-two thousand Louisianians; and
WHEREAS, nearly one in every three seniors dies each year with Alzheimer's
disease; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, one thousand five hundred five deaths resulted from
Alzheimer's disease in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the total cost of care nationally for individuals with Alzheimer's disease
is expected to soar from two hundred twenty-six billion dollars in 2015 to over one trillion
dollars in the year 2050; and
WHEREAS, nationally, the average per person's Medicaid spending for seniors with
Alzheimer's disease and other dementia is nineteen times higher than the average per
person's Medicaid spending for all other seniors; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, two hundred thirty thousand family caregivers in Louisiana
provided 262,000,000 hours of unpaid Alzheimer's care, valued at over three billion dollars;
and
WHEREAS, only forty-five percent of people with Alzheimer's disease or their
caregivers report being told of their diagnosis; and
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WHEREAS, nearly eighty percent of Louisiana seniors who reported experiencing
confusion or memory loss happening more often or getting worse have not talked with a
health care professional about it; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease takes a tremendous emotional toll on all whose
lives it touches, including family members, friends, and especially the caregivers of those
living with Alzheimer's disease; and
WHEREAS, more than sixty percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers are
women; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force was established
by the legislature; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force was comprised of
membership from the legislature, as well as defined representatives from interested
community and industry partners; and
WHEREAS, the task force, in accordance with its legislative charge, accomplished
the following: assessed the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease on Louisianians;
examined the existing industries, services, and resources addressing the needs of persons
with Alzheimer's disease, their families and caregivers; developed a strategy to mobilize a
state response to Alzheimer's disease; held public meetings and utilized technological means
to gather feedback from persons and families affected by Alzheimer's disease; submitted a
report of findings and recommendations to the legislature and the governor in the form of
a state Alzheimer's disease plan in October of 2009; and
WHEREAS, recommendations from the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force
Final Report covered the following areas: infrastructure, data collection, education and
training, early detection and diagnosis, safety, services and facilities, and health coverage.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
recognize May 27, 2015, as "Alzheimer's Awareness Day" at the state capitol and expresses
their continued support of the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force's Final Report and
expresses the renewed implementation of the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force's
Final Report, in partnership with the Department of Health and Hospitals and the
Alzheimer's Association Louisiana chapter.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that implementation of the task force report will
move Louisiana closer to becoming a dementia-capable state, better suited to handle the
fiscal, psychological, and social demands Alzheimer's disease places on Louisiana families.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Department of Health and Hospitals and the Alzheimer's Association Louisiana chapter.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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