WHEREAS, it is the intent of this General Assembly to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, address cognitive impairment, promote brain health, and meet the needs of caregivers; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease has been traditionally seen as an aging issue, Alzheimer’s is also a public health issue because the burden to society is large, the impact is major, and there are ways to intervene throughout the lifespan; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease, which currently has no cure, is the sixth leading cause of death in adults age eighteen or older in the United States of America and Delaware; and
WHEREAS, with no currently definitive interventions to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, essential public health services of early detection, risk reduction, and surveillance are necessary to protect and improve the health at a population level, as called for in
The Healthy Brain Initiative: State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and
WHEREAS, in conjunction with the CDC, the Delaware Division of Public Health annually conducts the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to gather statewide public health data; and
WHEREAS, in the 2016 BRFSS survey, nearly 9 percent – one in eleven – Delaware residents aged 45 and older reported an increase in confusion or worsening memory loss and more than half of them (52.6 percent) had not discussed these cognitive concerns with a health care provider; and
WHEREAS, caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease often takes an enormous toll on family members; creating opportunities to reduce caregivers’ stress, depression, injuries, and additional health problems is important; and
WHEREAS,
the onset of Alzheimer's disease cannot yet be stopped or reversed, early detection and diagnosis allows people with dementia and their families not only a better chance of receiving and benefiting from treatment, care, and support services, but also more time to put legal, financial, and advance directives
in place
for the future
; and
WHEREAS, we recognize the important responsibility the Delaware Division of Public Health has in promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors among the general public, increasing early detection and diagnosis of disease and disability, reducing risk of future illness and injury, educating the health care workforce, and monitoring the health of the state;
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 150th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, , that we urge the Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health to designate Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as public health issues.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health with this final clause omitted from such copy.
