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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THAT MEDICARE FULLY FUND ALZHEIMER DISEASE TREATMENT AND EARLY DETECTION DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and among the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. More people die of Alzheimer's than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. With Alzheimer's, the brain shrinks, brain cells die, and peoples' memory and language centers fail and as the disease advances, the loss of brain function leads to dehydration, malnutrition, infection, and ultimately death; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer's affects people 65 years of age and older. More than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's and by 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of specialists in elder and memory-related medicine and nurses providing care at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. In regions with high rates of Alzheimer's, these shortages are particularly catastrophic within the current models of care; and
WHEREAS, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, in 2020, there were 230,000 people over 65 years of age living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia in Illinois. This figure is projected to reach 260,000 in 2025, a 13% increase. In 2021, approximately 383,000 Illinois caregivers provided more than 486 billion hours of care to someone living with a form of dementia; and
WHEREAS, according to new estimates released in 2023 by the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 13.6% of Cook County's 65+ population has Alzheimer's disease. That compares to 12.0% statewide and ranks number 1 of 102 counties in Illinois included in the data. About 107,600 people have Alzheimer's in Cook County; and
WHEREAS, on July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for a treatment for Alzheimer's in people in the early, mild stages of the neurodegenerative condition, which works to tr...
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