More than 20,000 people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia in Montana and that number is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years, according to Lynn Mullowney Cabrera, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Montana chapter.
In an effort to raise awareness about the disease, the Alzheimer’s Association is holding a gathering at the Capitol in Helena on March 30. The group is also organizing buses for supporters from Billings, Bozeman, Missoula and Kalispell.
Mullowney Cabrera said the advocacy day would help highlight a number of bills under consideration in the Legislature to support people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. House Bill 17 would expand Medicaid service for the elderly with Alzheimer’s. House Bill 70 would develop a statewide volunteer guardianship program to protect seniors from abuse. House Bill 163 would aid caregivers dealing with family members who are transitioning from hospital care to home care. Senate Bill 272 would aid assisted living facilities to better serve those with dementia who may be a danger to themselves or others, rather than sending them to the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 27,000 people in Montana will be diagnosed with the disease by 2025, a 35 percent increase over today. In 2014, the disease was the sixth leading cause of death in the state and that could increase as the state’s population ages. In 2016, there were nearly 50,000 unpaid caregivers in the state.
“Alzheimer’s has implications beyond those who are diagnosed with it,” she said. “It impacts spouses, it impacts children, it impacts everyone. Alzheimer’s is touching every family in this country”
Over the last few years, the state has crafted a plan to address Alzheimer’s and dementia (it can be found at www.mtalzplan.com) and much of what is being proposed in the Legislature stems from that document, Mullowney Cabrera said.
Mullowney Cabrera said the rally in Helena would have a dual purpose. Besides letting elected officials know that Alzheimer’s is a growing issue in the state, it will also let caregivers – people who can’t leave their loved ones to testify in Helena – that they are not alone and that many people are impacted by the disease.
For more information, visit www.alz.org/montana, and to reserve a spot on the bus to Helena on March 30, call 1(800)-272-3900.