Ted Deutch: “I thank my friend from California for yielding. I stand in strong support of H.R. 6813, the Promoting Alzheimer's…”

“I thank my friend from California for yielding. I stand in strong support of H.R. 6813, the Promoting Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act. This bill is as simple as it is bipartisan. Too many of the folks who are charged with protecting older Americans don't have the specialized knowledge and training needed to assist people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. This knowledge gap will be a growing problem as our Nation's population continues to age. In 2019, there were about 5.8 million people in the United States who were living with Alzheimer's. By 2050, the population is estimated to grow to close to 14 million people. And while not all of those with dementia are seniors, 81 percent of people living with Alzheimer's in the United States are 75 years of age or older. People living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are especially vulnerable to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and they are frequent targets for fraud and other scams. This means more interactions between people with Alzheimer's and first responders, adult protective services, the courts, and others in the community. Families and other caregivers know the challenges of dementia. These diseases steal so much from their loved ones, but caregivers step up every day to help people with dementia stay safe and stay healthy. Unfortunately, the strategies and caregiving practices that they use aren't known by others who are charged with preventing elder abuse and fraud.…”