CONTACT:
Patty Guinto, Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter
Ph: 650.623.3134 or patty.guinto@alz.org
GOVERNOR’S BUDGET CUTS DISAPPOINT ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
Cuts devastate home and community-based services for people with Alzheimer’s disease
SACRAMENTO (July 29, 2009) – The Alzheimer’s Association’s California chapters issued the following media statement today in response to recent action by the Governor in Sacramento:
We are deeply disappointed in Governor Schwarzenegger for choosing to eliminate the Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Centers (ADCRC) and cut funds for the Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs) by more than 70 percent. At a time when researchers are predicting the number of Californians living with Alzheimer’s will double by 2030, the Governor’s actions are incomprehensible. The Association and the more than 588,000 California families living with this dreaded disease call on the Governor and Legislature to restore the ADCRCs and the CRCs.
The ADCRCs are the only programs providing community-based care specifically designed to serve individuals in the moderate and late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Until today, California had been a leader in developing innovative programs such as these, which have enabled individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to remain in their communities for as long as possible. Many of these programs are small and will likely close their doors without this funding, leaving families to seek care in more expensive settings such as nursing homes, emergency rooms and hospitals.
Today’s additional cuts mean that funding to the CRCs has been slashed a total of 70 percent. These programs offered families caring for persons with Alzheimer’s one of the few options for accessing respite care and caregiver education. As with the ADCRC program, many of the CRCs will be hard pressed to remain open with such limited funding.
The combined impact of these cuts will no doubt stress many families beyond the breaking point. As a result, many families will be left with no choice but to place their loved ones in more formal and costly care settings. The Association is saddened that California has chosen to save a few dollars today that it will spend ten-fold in the coming months and years to pay for nursing homes and emergency room visits.
The Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit http://www.alz.org/californiasouthland.
