By Max Wallack
PuzzlesToRemember
Lynda Everman
Help Stamp Out Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s is one of the greatest and most costly medical and social problems facing our nation today. In 2013, Alzheimer’s cost this country $203 billion dollars; by 2050, the cost is expected to reach 1.2 trillion dollars. As populations increase, people are also living longer; the number of people above age 60 is the most rapidly growing segment of our population. As a result, the number of Alzheimer's cases increases even more rapidly than the growth in population. Because Alzheimer's patients become utterly dependent upon a system of very intense and increasingly intensive care, the impending tsunami of Alzheimer's cases may well become a threat to the financial stability of our health care system and the peace of several million families.
Alzheimer's is a cruel disease which extracts a tremendous physical, emotional, and financial toll from all it touches. We must continue our support for those with this disease and their care partners, but we must also fight to stop this disease by finding varied and innovative ways to fund research!
The proposed legislation for an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Semipostal Stamp, H.R. 1508 or S. 1091 is one such way.
Quite simply, this legislation would direct the USPS to design and issue a postage stamp that would raise awareness and crucial funds for Alzheimer’s research.
The beauty of this stamp is that is does this WITHOUT increasing taxes, discretionary spending, or the deficit.
Like the popular and successful Breast Cancer Research Semipostal which has raised over $77.6 million for breast cancer research, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Semipostal would cost a few cents more than regular first class postage, with the extra funds going to the NIH to fund research for better treatments, prevention, and - the ultimate prize - a CURE for Alzheimer’s & related disorders.
We must use EVERY means available to defeat Alzheimer’s, our formidable opponent.
Like many of you, we have lost those we’ve loved the most: Max, his great grandmother. Lynda, her dad and her husband. These losses, as painful as they are, have fueled our advocacy and our determination to fund and find a cure, but we need YOUR help!
We need to recruit the majority of our representatives to step up and sign on to this legislation, or it will fail.
This is the 5th time this legislation has been introduced in the House and the 4th time in the Senate since 2005. Each time it fails to get out of committee, the process begins all over again.
Please CALL your elected officials TODAY! Ask them to get on board.
This is the single most effective way to influence their opinions about legislation.
Members of Congress regularly ask their staff to report on the opinions of constituents calling their offices, and they often keep track of the numbers of constituents weighing in on a particular issue.
It’s easy. Follow these steps:
1. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121; then ask to be put through to the office of your congressman or Senator.
If you don’t know the names of your representatives, you can find out who they are, as well as the direct line to their offices by visiting:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org
2. Once you reach the lawmaker’s office, ask to speak with their Health Legislative Aid.
Then use these talking points:
Provide your name and let them know that you are a constituent in their state/district.
Let them know that Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States; that there are currently 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, and 15.4 million unpaid caregivers. These numbers are expected to triple over the next decade.
American families and taxpayers now spend $200 billion per year caring for those with Alzheimer’s and within ten years, more than $2 trillion will have been spent on care for those with Alzheimer’s.
Our only hope at changing these figures is to vigorously fund research.
Ask your Senators/representative to COSPONSOR H.R.1508 (House) and S.1091 (Senate): To provide for the issuance of an Alzheimer's Disease Research Semipostal Stamp.
Passage of this bill would raise awareness of the enormity of this health crisis AND help fund research WITHOUT increasing taxes, discretionary spending, or the deficit. The semipostal would, in fact, provide much needed, cost neutral, additional revenue for dementia research.
Please share your personal reasons for asking this.
Personal stories do have emotional impact!
Tell your legislator that his/her vote might be the one that makes a difference and helps find an effective treatment or cure for Alzheimer's.
Let your legislators know that we will be publishing a list of the supporters and also publicly acknowledging them on both the AlzheimersReadingRoom and the HelpStampOUTAlzheimer’s advocacy page.
Thank the aid for his/her time and close by leaving your name, city of residence, and phone number so their office can follow up with you.
Feel free to share the responses of your legislators in the comments box here on the Alzheimer’s Reading Room.
Thank you for taking awareness to the next step: to ACTION!
With your help we CAN Help Stamp OUT Alzheimer’s!
Max Wallack, Puzzles to Remember
Lynda Everman, Help Stamp OUT Alzheimer’s •
Max Wallack is a student at Boston University and a Research Intern in the Molecular Psychiatry and Aging Laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at
Boston University School of Medicine. His great grandmother, Gertrude, suffered from
Alzheimer's disease. Max is the founder of
PUZZLES TO REMEMBER. PTR is a project that provides puzzles to nursing homes and veterans institutions that care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
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