By Tabby Fitzgerald

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—One hundred and ten thousand Hoosiers are living with Alzheimer’s disease while 215,000 are providing unpaid care for them, according to Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter executive Natalie Sutton, who says it is an extremely difficult and challenging journey.

According to the FDA, there are currently more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and it is the sixth leading cause of death.

The month of June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Disease Awareness Month. Throughout the month, the Alzheimer’s Association will be hosting several events to bring awareness to this subject and the resources available for those who are impacted.

One event on June 17 is called Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body. This event will have games as well as tips on how dementia caregivers can care for themselves.

“I think many people are impacted by Alzheimer’s or dementia, but they think that they have to walk that journey alone, and so we want them to know that we’re here to help,” Sutton said.

Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, is someone who has been impacted by dementia. His grandmother passed away 30 years ago from it, and his mother currently has Alzheimer’s.

Porter authored House Bill 1177during the Indiana General Assembly’s 2021 session. This bill requires the Division of Aging  to develop a strategic plan concerning dementia in Indiana and submit it to the General Assembly.

“The bottom line is that this is truly an economic as well as a public health crisis when it comes to dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in our state,” Porter said.

The FDA approved the drug Aducanumab (Aduhelm) this week. This drug is the first novel therapy that has been approved for Alzheimer’s since 2003. The FDA says the need for treatment is urgent because as the age of the population increases, it expects that the number of Americans with the disease will also increase.

Tabby Fitzgerald is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.