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Bomke,
Brady appointed to
Alzheimer's disease task force
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[JULY 22, 2003]
SPRINGFIELD -- Sens. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, and Bill
Brady, R-Bloomington, will serve on the Illinois Legislative
Alzheimer's Disease Task Force. Senate Republican Leader Frank
Watson, R-Greenville, announced the appointments July 17. The task
force was created by House Joint Resolution 14, approved this spring
by the Legislature. Bomke and Brady were both sponsors of the
resolution.
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“I look forward to
serving on this task force and helping sort out the problems
experienced by Illinois residents and their families who are
currently living with Alzheimer's,” said Brady. “Once we have better
understanding of the types of care issues patients currently face,
we can begin looking for ways to improve care for Alzheimer's
patients throughout Illinois.”
Alzheimer's disease
is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain that affects
numerous Illinois citizens. More than 200,000 citizens of Illinois
suffer from Alzheimer's, roughly 10 percent of those older than 65
and nearly 50 percent of those older than 85. More than 50 percent
of all nursing home residents have the disease.
“The effects of
Alzheimer's disease are hard not only for the patients, but also for
their families. The disease is draining both emotionally and
financially, and unfortunately not everyone gets the care they
need,” said Bomke. “These are just a few of the issues we will
consider over the next six months to see what, if any, changes can
be made to lessen the burdens of this disease and to make sure the
right type of care is available.”
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The task force will
help optimize the quality of life for Alzheimer's patients and their
families through advocacy, education, support and services, while
actively promoting research to eliminate the disease. The task force
will examine the facts, prevalence and costs of the diseases;
financial barriers to essential care; the continuum of care,
including medical assessment or diagnosis, drug therapy, caregiver
training and support, home and community-based care, adult day
services, residential care options, and hospice care; and the
training and qualifications of those who work with individuals who
have Alzheimer's disease.
The task force will
report back to the General Assembly on or before Dec. 1.
[News release]
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