CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS LEADS 27 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Today, on Capitol Hill, Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-35) sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee requesting a $2 million appropriation for the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program in fiscal year 2012. A total of 27 Members of Congress signed the letter. The text of the letter follows:
We urge you to provide $2 million in the FY 2012 CJS appropriations bill for the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program. This small but effective program helps local communities and law enforcement officials quickly identify persons with Alzheimer's disease who wander away from home and reunite them with their families.
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and the majority of them live at home under the care of family and friends. It is estimated that 60% of Alzheimer's patients are likely to wander away from their homes. Wanderers are vulnerable to dehydration, weather conditions, traffic hazards, and individuals who prey on vulnerable seniors. Up to 50% of wandering Alzheimer's patients will become seriously injured or die if they are not found within 24 hours of their departure from home.
Since its inception more than 10 years ago, the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program has funded a national registry of more than 172,000 individuals at risk of wandering and has reunited over 12,000 wanderers with their families. It is a highly successful program whereby 88% of registrants who wander are found within the first four hours of being reported missing. The program has a 98% success rate in recovering enrollees who are reported missing.
Within the past two years, the program has also begun to consider funding technology-based options to address wandering. For example, personalized wristbands that emit a tracking signal can be worn by individuals who are at risk of wandering. When caregivers notify local officials that an individual is missing, specially trained search and rescue teams conduct a search in the individual's area using a mobile tracking system. This technology can reduce search times from days to minutes.
The Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program protects the safety of thousands of Americans affected by Alzheimer's disease and provides priceless peace-of-mind to their families. It also saves local law enforcement officials valuable time and allows them to focus on other security concerns.
We therefore urge you to provide $2 million for the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program in FY 2012. Families of Alzheimer's patients across the country are counting on your support.
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· During the 111th Congress, Congresswoman Waters introduced a bipartisan bill to expand the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program (H.R. 908), which helps law enforcement officials identify persons with Alzheimer's disease who wander away from home and reunite them with their families. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives on February 10, 2009, but did not pass the Senate prior to adjournment last year.
· Also during the 111th Congress, Congresswoman Waters introduced the Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act (H.R. 4123). This bill would authorize grants to improve treatment for Alzheimer's patients and expand training and support services for their families and caregivers. This bill had 79 bipartisan cosponsors and was supported by nearly 100 national, state and local organizations.
· In addition, Congresswoman Waters helped the California Southland Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association obtain a $190,000 grant for caregiver education, outreach and public awareness in Los Angeles in fiscal year 2009.