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Advocate Profiles - Lucien Richardson

Lucien Richardson began to notice that his wife, Frances, was having memory problems when she was in her early 40s. When Frances was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer's disease at 49, Lucien and his two teenage sons assumed her care responsibilities.

After only five years, the trio realized Frances needed a higher level of care than they could provide. Now 56, Frances resides in an assisted-living facility.

"Alzheimer's disease is what it is," Lucien said, speaking from previous experience as a caregiver for an uncle with Alzheimer's. "Unfortunately, we can't change it - we just have to deal with the changes that it brings."

Despite acknowledging the reality of Alzheimer's, Lucien does not sit quietly on the sidelines while others fight against the disease. The 50-year-old resident of Spartanburg, S.C., is a dedicated Alzheimer advocate, calling for increased research funding, finding opportunities for community outreach, speaking at events and serving on the board of directors for the Alzheimer's Association South Carolina Chapter.

"Ideally, we need to see a change in public opinion and public policy regarding Alzheimer's disease," Lucien said. "The idea of the sanctity of life should extend to our elders, ensuring that they have a dignified aging experience, whether they have Alzheimer's or not." To Lucien, funding the research to discover ways to prevent, delay and treat the disease is one vital component of caring for these individuals.

In 2008, Lucien participated in his first Alzheimer's Association Public Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. He urged legislators on Capitol Hill to support increased research funding, saying, "If Congress knew that 1 million Americans were going to die, whether by natural disaster, hostile attack or pandemic illness, they would act to do something about it. I'm telling you that 5 million Americans are going to die with this disease. We are asking for an investment for the protection of the American people."

Lucien wasn't satisfied with the noncommittal responses he received. "Our government cannot afford to be an ostrich on this issue, sticking their heads into the sand and hoping that it does not become worse," he said. "They have to be able to envision what may happen and act upon it - there will be no band-aid solutions to Alzheimer's disease."

Lucien will be traveling to Washington for the 2009 Public Policy Forum. Watch out, legislators - he has much more to say.