Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill to establish an Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias task force.
Republican State Senator Steve Wilson and Democratic State Senator Kenny Yuko are the primary sponsors of SB 24.
“This is going to develop a plan, a plan that is our intent to be adopted,” Wilson said. “Senator Yuko, myself, and everybody in this room is going to work very hard to make the results of this planning and the plan that comes out of it a roadmap for Ohio for the next five to ten years.”
“You know some of these task forces we’ve put together in the past, they only affect certain groups of people or certain areas,” Yuko said. “This is one particular subject that has no boundaries. It covers the entire state of Ohio. No matter where you live or what your circumstances are, it could affect you. When it does affect you, it affects you in ways you can’t imagine. Sometimes it’s harder being the caregiver than it is being the patient.”
Jennifer Blough is one such caregiver. She balances a full-time job with the responsibilities of caring for her husband Rod, who’s been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.
“I’m so grateful to both Senator Wilson and Senator Yuko for providing a plan that will put more resources into the state of Ohio so that Rod and I continue to live our lives as meaningful as we can, and from my concern to keep my husband safe, to keep him independent, to keep him joyful in his life,” she said. “This plan will affect Ohio by confronting the sweeping economic and social impact of Alzheimer’s, while educating the community and raising awareness for the disease not just with the general population but particularly with primary care physicians so that we can provide more early detection and get them into specialist help so that they can enjoy a meaningful life like Rod and I are.”
Officials say the Medicaid cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients in Ohio last year exceeded $2.3 billion. There are 220,000 Ohioans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but lawmakers and service providers say that number could triple over the next 30 years. Once established, the 21-member task force will have up to 18 months to submit its findings and recommendations.
