On May 17-19, Alzheimer's Association advocates across the country will participate in the 2021 Alzheimer's Impact Movement Advocacy Forum. In a normal year, these passionate volunteers would travel to Washington, DC, to share their stories in their Congressional offices and seek support for key policies. While the Forum is being held on a virtual platform this year, our advocates are still committed to raising awareness and support among our members of Congress.
For advocate Laura Joseph of Cayce, SC, the Forum has always been a personally meaningful experience. Her Gran developed Alzheimer's shortly after she was born and passed away just before her 14th birthday. She saw firsthand the impact that it had, both on her Gran and on her Granpa as her primary caregiver.
"I love the opportunity to educate our state and national Senators and Representatives about Alzheimer’s and discuss upcoming legislation that can have a benefit for both caregivers and those living with the disease," Laura said. "It gives me a sense of empowerment in fighting for what my Gran and Granpa did not have but would have benefitted so much from."
For example, the
Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act is one of our advocates' top priorities for this year's Forum. Comprehensive dementia care management has been shown to reduce costs while providing better quality care for those facing dementia and their caregivers, but it is not widely available in most healthcare settings. This bill would ask the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test a better payment structure for dementia care management, which would make it more financially feasible for more healthcare providers to offer this type of seamless care.
Advocates will also be seeking support for
Alzheimer's and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health, as well as the
Equity in Neuroscience and Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials (ENACT) Act. This newly introduced bill seeks to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in Alzheimer’s and other dementia clinical trials by expanding education and outreach to these populations, encouraging the diversity of clinical trial staff and
reducing participation burden.
Learn more and show your support for these and other key policy priorities.
Even though this year's Forum is taking place virtually, Laura is still grateful for the opportunity to connect with her US Senators and Congressman. "We need to support those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers more than ever during this period," Laura said. "I’m looking forward to still being able to share my story and carry on my Gran’s memory."
Laura has attended the Advocacy Forum in person in past years, and she looks forward to returning to DC in person once it's safe to host such a large event again. "My favorite part of Forum in the past has been the community! Not just the advocacy community we have here in South Carolina, but seeing everyone from across the nation coming together working towards one goal is beautiful and empowering," she said.
In the meantime, Laura plans to continue making a difference however she can: through continued participation in local legislative meetings, by raising awareness as a
volunteer community educator and by volunteering with Alzheimer's Association events like
Walk to End Alzheimer's. And as a new graduate of George Washington University with a Master in Public Health, she hopes to make an impact through her professional life as well.
"My experience in advocacy opened my eyes to the impact that both health policy and health education can have for those dealing with Alzheimer’s and other diseases that may be misunderstood, and I wanted to make a bigger impact," Laura said. "I hope to use my degree to work in educating the public on the impact of Alzheimer’s and address some of the social determinants of health that impact some of the most vulnerable patients and caregivers."
Best wishes to Laura and all of our advocates—here in South Carolina and across the nation—as they carry our message to Capitol Hill next week. Together, our nonpartisan efforts will inspire our nation's leaders to take bold action to address Alzheimer's and all dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) Advocacy Forum is the nation's premier Alzheimer's disease advocacy event. Join us this year for an engaging virtual event on May 19 at 7 p.m. ET to hear from fellow advocates learn about our policy priorities, and hear directly from our policymakers about the progress we’re making in Washington.
Register for free today.
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.