Florida to Spend $65 Million for Alzheimer’s, Dementia Care

Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez says the $65 million appropriated by the Legislature will help Alzheimer’s and dementia patients with technology and resources.

Florida is home to more than 4.4 million people 65 and older, making up over 20% of the population. Because of this, Nuñez said at a news conference in Ocala on Wednesday that it has been a priority of leadership to make sure Floridians have the opportunity to live long, secure lives, and funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia will help achieve that.

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Music Spotlight: Jay Allen

When rising artist Jay Allen debuted the song “No Prayer Like Mama’s,” I knew this was the artist I wanted to feature for Mother’s Day Weekend. To be honest, the lyrics just wreck me, and I suppose that is what a good country song does.

Allen grew up in a little Midwest town in Iowa where his dad owned a restaurant called Joe’s Country Grill. That’s where his dad met his mother when she was a waitress. Because they both worked at the restaurant, Allen spent much of his younger years there.

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FDA Approves New Drug for Early Treatment of Alzheimer’s

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, with testing reportedly showing considerable success in helping patients with the debilitating condition. 

The FDA said in a press release that it had approved the drug Leqembi for Alzheimer’s patients. The drug is “the second of a new category of medications approved for Alzheimer’s disease that target the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease,” the agency said. 

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Commentary: Expanding Access to Alzheimer’s Treatment

Promising new medicines could soon be available to help patients fend against this disease. Government must ensure Medicare is able to cover them.

Approximately six million Americans are living with some form of Alzheimer’s, a number poised to double over the coming decades. Citizens are living 30 years longer than a century ago, primarily due to incredible advances in the field of medicine. Future opportunities are limitless if we foster an environment that rewards rather than discourages innovation. Unfortunately, that’s not what our leaders in Washington are doing.

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Commentary: Alzheimer’s Research Pipeline Is Poised to Conquer Alzheimer’s with Combination Drug Treatments

The recent approval of Aduhelm, a drug that removes amyloid plaques from the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, is a reason for cautious celebration. Not just because it is the first new treatment approved in 17 years, but because it is the first piece of a complex puzzle that researchers are hot on the trail of solving.

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Letter to the Editor: Thank You Tennessee Senators Representatives for Supporting the Bold Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act

Dear Tennessee Star, I want to publicly thank our Senators, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, and my Congressman, Jim Cooper as well as the other members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation (Rep. Roe, Rep. Duncan, Rep. Fleischmann, Rep. DesJarlais, Rep. Kustoff and Rep. Cohen) for supporting and passing the Bold Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, a bi-partisan legislation that, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, “will combat the Alzheimer’s crisis and create a public health infrastructure to address the disease.” In 2013 my 63-year-old father, Col.Tom Bowden, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. A retired Army colonel who commanded over 900 soldiers, who was responsible for 36 Pershing II missile launchers with assigned nuclear capable missiles, completed two assignments at the Pentagon, and had a ten-year successful post-military career; no longer knew who he was, where he was, or how to communicate his basic needs. My mother, Barbara Bowden was his care-partner. When he was first diagnosed with AD, his primary care provider said, “it is going to get really bad.” As a result, we immediately enrolled him in clinical studies, researched at-home care, and scoured the internet for the best books to read, wheelchairs, hospital beds and eating utensils to buy. However,…

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