Letter to the editor: Pa. must invest in Alzheimer’s

In Pennsylvania, there are more than 280,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and another 465,000-plus people providing unpaid care for their loved ones, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. I am one of these individuals. I have been the primary care partner for more than 6 years for my wife, Sara, and I have firsthand experience of the disjointed, and frankly underfunded, government support services available to families like mine.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed a $1.9 million appropriation to establish Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders infrastructure within the Department of Aging. Adequate funding and coordination between state offices is critical in ensuring Pennsylvania residents have access to comprehensive and coordinated services.

In Pennsylvania, the Medicaid cost of caring for people with dementia is $3.7 billion, a number expected to rise more than 10% by 2025. We need the passage of Senate Bill 840 and the $1.9 million proposed investment.

With fellow Alzheimer’s advocates, my wife and I urge our legislators to join bipartisan efforts to pass this bill with adequate funding. We cannot afford not to pass this bill while experiencing steep increases in Medicaid costs and the number of people in need.

Don Belt

Greensburg