Vermont HCR 87: House concurrent resolution designating Friday, March 29, 2019 as Alzheimer’s Awareness Day at the State House

Bill Text

R-105 Page 1 of 1
2019

VT LEG #340509 v.1

No. R-105. House concurrent resolution designating Friday, March 29, 2019 as
Alzheimer’s Awareness Day at the State House.
(H.C.R.87)
Offered by: All Members of the House
Whereas, Alzheimer’s disease is a “type of dementia that causes problems with memory,
thinking and behavior,” and
Whereas, it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the nation and the fifth-leading cause
for persons 65 years of age or older, and Vermont has the country’s highest Alzheimer’s
death rate, and
Whereas, from 2000 to 2017, the national heart disease death rate decreased nine
percent, but in the same time period, the comparable national rate for Alzheimer’s
increased 145 percent, and since 2000, Vermont has seen an increase of 176 percent, and
Whereas, 13,000 Vermonters, 65 years of age or older, are living with Alzheimer’s
disease or a related form of dementia, and
Whereas, annually, 30,000 Vermonters provide an estimated 34 million hours of unpaid
Alzheimer’s care valued at $434 million, and
Whereas, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that, nationally, 16 million Americans
provide uncompensated care for an estimated 18.5 billion hours that is valued at
$234 billion, and
Whereas, caring for a person with any form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, can be
emotionally, financially, and physically challenging, and
Whereas, a 2015 Alzheimer’s Association report found that more than 50 percent of
persons with Alzheimer’s are not informed of their diagnosis, and
Whereas, in 2019, total Alzheimer’s-related costs are estimated at $290 billion, and this
figure could potentially reach $1.1 trillion by 2050, and
Whereas, today, individuals whose lives Alzheimer’s directly impacts, as well as
persons dedicated to improving public awareness of Alzheimer’s and finding a cure, are
visiting the State House, now therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly designates Friday, March 29, 2019 as Alzheimer’s
Awareness Day at the State House, and be it further
Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.