Letter to the Editor

Posted

My name is Damian May and I am one of the many faces of Alzheimer’s. On Feb. 6, at the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual “Rally in Tally,” I had the honor of meeting with Rep. Cyndi Stevenson to discuss making Alzheimer’s a top legislative priority. Together, with more than 100 Alzheimer’s Association advocates from across the region, we are united in making Florida a “dementia capable” state by working with our legislators to address specific needs to create a direct path to treatment and a cure.

As a health economist, it is critically important to me that we build community programs to help our caregivers help our patients with Alzheimer’s. There is both a significant toll on human health, as well as the cost to care for all Floridians. The Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI) provides critical support for our caregivers, which can and will, in turn, increase the health of our caregivers, as well as decrease costs associated with the very real human toll of Alzheimer’s disease.

Together with the Alzheimer’s Association, I support funding for the ADI, as these funds support the more than 1.1 million Floridians who provide daily unpaid care for those living with dementia. There are currently thousands of Floridians on the wait list for critically-needed respite care services, so I urge Rep. Stevenson to support this funding as well.

Damian May

Ponte Vedra Beach

Chair, Board of Directors – Central and North Florida Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association