The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) are proud to support the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, new bipartisan legislation prioritizing our nation’s approach to Alzheimer’s disease. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act was introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and by Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The legislation was developed in close partnership between the sponsors, the Alzheimer’s Association and AIM.
“Too often, Alzheimer’s and other dementias are viewed just as an aging issue, ignoring the public health consequences of a fatal disease that more than 5 million Americans are living with,” said Harry Johns, Alzheimer’s Association and AIM President and CEO. “The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will ensure communities across the country have access to resources to promote effective Alzheimer’s interventions and better cognitive health that can lead to improved health outcomes.”
The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act would establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence in communities around the country to expand and promote the evidence base for effective Alzheimer’s interventions, and issue funding to state and local public health departments to promote cognitive health, risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis, and the needs of caregivers. Critically, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act would also increase collection, analysis and timely reporting of data on cognitive decline and caregiving to inform future public health actions.
“Alzheimer’s disease is one of the greatest and under-recognized public health threats of our time. Five and a half million Americans are living with the disease, and that number is soaring as our overall population grows older and lives longer,” said Sen. Collins. “After decades of expanding biomedical research in Alzheimer’s, we are ready for the next step: to translate research into practice. I urge my colleagues to join us as cosponsors of this critical bipartisan legislation.”