Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t strike just the elderly. The 200,000 Americans diagnosed with dementia before age 65 need services like in-home care, transportation, and caregiver support.

Alzheimer’s Association advocates have asked members of Congress to cosponsor the Younger Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act, which would amend the Older Americans Act (of 1965) to serve these families too.

I am grateful that Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has cosponsored this bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1903, because she serves on the committee that must approve it. Please, constituents of WA 08, join me in urging our representative Congresswoman Kim Schrier to join Jayapal as a cosponsor of this important bill. I have spoken about this bill with her and her staff, and I think with some further urging from more of her constituents she would agree to cosponsor H.R. 1903.

This advocacy is important to me because having lost my own mom to Alzheimer’s and knowing families dealing with this in the Auburn, Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Sumner, I know the heavy burden that families carry. This is even more so when the loved one with Alzheimer’s is younger than 65 as there currently is less support for these families. This bill would remedy that.

I believe it is paramount for our members of Congress to continue in active support of policies addressing Alzheimer’s as the national public health crisis it is. It seems to be one area a bipartisan approach has proven successful. Help me ensure that continues by contacting Congresswoman Kim Schrier at 425-657-1001 (her Issaquah office), 202-225-7761 (her D.C. office), or through her website at www.schrier.house.gov.

Karen Marez

Auburn