Klobuchar’s father passed away this May after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the statement below on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) annual update to its National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. Klobuchar’s father passed away this May after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

“As a long-time advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and their families and caregivers, I am glad to see the administration taking steps to accelerate research and strengthen support services. I know from personal experience how heartbreaking this disease can be for patients and their families, and we must do all that we can to both prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. Moving forward, I will continue working to improve the quality of patients’ lives and help lessen the strain on their loved ones and caregivers.”

In May, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act to provide grants to expand training and support services that improve caregiver health and delay long-term care facility admissions by helping individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias continue living in their homes.

In Minnesota, 99,000 people live with Alzheimer’s or other related dementias. More than one in nine people in the U.S. over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. It is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. and is the 6th leading cause of death among U.S. adults. In 2021, over 6 million Americans lived with Alzheimer’s disease. This number is projected to grow to 14 million people by 2060. Additionally, over 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, including 170,000 in Minnesota alone. Collectively, family caregivers for patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Minnesota spend 155 million hours each year taking care of a loved one. This equates to more than $3 billion in unpaid labor each year.

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