national alzheimer's project

Implement the National Alzheimer’s Project Act

In 2050, up to 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease, creating an enormous strain on the health care system, families, and the federal budget. Recognizing this growing crisis, Congress unanimously passed and President Obama signed into law the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), calling for the creation of a National Alzheimer’s Plan. In May, the first National Alzheimer’s Plan was released. In support of the Plan, the President’s fiscal year 2013 budget proposal includes $100 million in additional funding for research, awareness, education and outreach, and caregiver support.

Increase the commitment to Alzheimer’s research
Over the next 40 years, Alzheimer’s will cost our country $20 trillion. Nearly 60 percent of that will be borne by Medicare. If we had a treatment that delayed onset of Alzheimer’s by just five years, Medicare spending would be reduced on those with the disease by 45 percent in 2050. Unfortunately, there continues to be a chronic underinvestment in Alzheimer’s disease research. The President’s budget proposal would take a first step toward finding the needed treatments, prevention, and cure by including an additional $80 million for Alzheimer’s research.

Expand education efforts and caregiver support services
Despite the growing number of Americans directly affected by Alzheimer’s, there are still widespread misconceptions about the disease, and health care providers are unprepared and undertrained in how to deal with individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families. In addition, support for unpaid family caregivers is wholly inadequate. The President’s budget proposes $20 million for provider education and outreach, public awareness, and caregiver support.

Urge your representative to commit $100 million in additional resources and to support continued implementation of the National Alzheimer’s Plan.

A major goal of the National Alzheimer’s Plan is to Prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.

For 2012, the Plan includes $50 million in additional funding for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2013 budget request proposes an additional $80 million for Alzheimer’s research. In fulfillment of one of the Plan’s action steps, the NIH held an international research conference in May 2012 to begin mapping the specific path, strategies and priorities that are needed to reach the Plan’s goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s by 2025. Furthermore, international outreach to governments and public-private partnerships will be expanded to enhance collaboration and coordination of research efforts.

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A major issue addressed in the National Alzheimer’s Plan is the optimization and improvement of the quality of Alzheimer’s care.

Currently the plan provides for $2 million will be used to educate health care providers about Alzheimer’s disease through Geriatric Education Centers. An additional $4 million has been included in the fiscal year 2013 budget request. The federal government is also tasked with creating and marketing a clearinghouse of dementia care curricula and practice recommendations for providers across the care continuum. And, new training materials on high-quality, person-centered care for individuals with Alzheimer’s will be available for the nursing home workforce.

Other improvements will focus on new approaches to coordinating care, the development of models of care for those transitioning from one care setting to another and identifying barriers to long-term services for those with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

The National Alzheimer’s plan includes provisions that provide support for family caregivers. As part of the plan the Administration on Aging will work with state governments to develop dementia-capable long-term services and supports for caregivers. The Plan also calls for a better system of assessing caregiver needs, as well as improved methods of connecting caregivers to services and evidence-based interventions. Lastly, the President’s fiscal year 2013 budget request to Congress includes an additional $10.5 million to support Alzheimer’s caregivers.