U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, reintroduced legislation to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease and by 2050 that number is expected to grow to 14 million. Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, who number nearly 16 million, report higher levels of stress and depression than those who provide care to individuals without dementia, which resulted in $10.2 billion in additional health costs for Alzheimer's caregivers in 2015.

The Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act would authorize grants to public and nonprofit organizations to expand training and support services that improve caregiver health and delay long-term care facility admissions by keeping loved ones with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in their homes longer.

"Watching a loved one suffer from Alzheimer's or related dementia is tragic—for the 16 million Americans who are also the primary caregivers for family members, life is even more challenging because they often lack the resources and support they need while providing nearly 18 billion hours of uncompensated care annually," Klobuchar said in a news release. "Our bipartisan bill will expand training and support services for caregivers to improve their well-being and health. It will also allow patients to stay in the comfort of their homes longer, improving their quality of life."

Klobuchar and Collins introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's by 2025 is an "urgent national priority." In March 2018, they successfully increased National Institutes of Health funding for Alzheimer's disease research by more than $400 million.