DONNA SUNDEVILS OFFICE ELECTION DAY. WE’RE GOING TO BE WITH YOU. LIVE IS NEXT. SATURDAY.
ALL RIGHT. MORE THAN 6.7
MILLION AMERICANS ARE LIVING
WITH ALZHEIMER’S AND THE SOUTH
TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION.
THEY TELL US THERE’S AN
ESTIMATED 400,000 TEXANS LIVING
WITH THE DISEASE END MORE THAN
A MILLION FAMILY MEMBERS AND
FRIENDS WHO ARE CARING FOR
THEM. SO JOINING US TO TODAY’S
LEADING SA SEGMENT IS GREG
LEADER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE SAN ANTONIO.
>> IN SOUTH TEXAS, CHAPTER OF
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION.
GOOD MORNING, SIR. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR TAKING TIME TO BE WITH
US.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU,
SIR. THANKS, MAX. GOOD TO SEE
PEOPLE. YOU TOO. SO GREAT.
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE
LOCALLY?
>> WELL, I MEAN, WE WE ARE THE
4.
WE HAD. TEXAS IS THE STATE WITH
THE 4TH HIGHEST TOTAL OF PEOPLE
LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S AND
DEMENTIA.
>> BASED ON OUR POPULATION AND
BASED ON ON OUR OUR OUR MAKEUP.
AND SO SO THIS DISEASE
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT
TEXANS.
>> AT A RATE. A HIGHER THAN
THE MOST. THEY.
>> SO THE TEXAS STATE
LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY PASSED
HISTORIC VAN ADVANCES TO FIGHT
THE END OF ALZHEIMER’S. SO WHAT
EXACTLY DID LAWMAKERS DO TO
HELP THE CAUSE?
>> SO FOR THE PAST SEVERAL THE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH
SERVICES HAS INCLUDED A MILLION
DOLLARS IN THE BIENNIUM FOR
AN ALL-TIMER AWARENESS PROGRAM.
THE ALZHEIMER’S STUDY PROGRAM
THIS YEAR WITH HELP FROM OUR
ADVOCATES THAT THE ASSOCIATION
AND OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATION,
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE APPROVED
5.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING
FOR THE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
PROGRAM AND THE 550% INCREASE,
WHICH IS IS A MASSIVE, MASSIVE
ACCOMPLISHMENT AND THIS WILL
GO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND
RESOURCES ON CARE AND SUPPORT
OPTION, ENCOURAGED EARLY
DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS FOR
PEOPLE WITH THE DISEASE AND
THEIR CAREGIVERS.
AND ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES TO PHYSICIANS AND
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS SO
THAT THEY CAN LEARN THE VALUE
OF EARLY DETECTION AND RISK
REDUCTION FOR THOSE WITH
DEMENTIA. SO IT REALLY IS A
LANDMARK WIN FOR US. I MEAN, IT
STILL PUTS US A LITTLE BIT
BEHIND STATES LIKE FLORIDA,
WHICH INVEST 44 MILLION DOLLARS
ANNUALLY AND GEORGIA WHICH
INVEST 8.3 MILLION DOLLARS
ANNUALLY. BUT A HUGE STEP
FORWARD PROTECTION. THEY’RE
LIVING WITH THIS DISEASE.
>> AND IN TERMS OF RESEARCHING
CURES, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S A
LOT OF HEADLINES IN REGARDS TO
THESE ADVANCEMENTS. BUT WHAT
ARE SOME OF THE MEDICAL
KNOWLEDGE, MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS
THAT LOCAL FAMILIES WHO ARE
DEALING WITH THIS SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT?
>> YEAH, THAT’S I THINK THE
FIRST TIME YOU AND I SPOKE
ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, WE DIDN’T
HAVE AN FDA APPROVED TREATMENT
FOR THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGY OF
ALZHEIMER’S. HE DIDN’T EXIST.
IT WAS SCIENCE FICTION. AND
TODAY I’M PROUD TO SAY THERE
ARE 2 FDA APPROVED TREATMENT.
THE CHECK, THE UNDERLYING
BIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE WITH THE
3RD IN THE PIPELINE, WHICH IS
SHOWING THE MOST PROMISING ARE
BOTH THE THERE’S ALSO BEEN AN
FDA APPROVED DRUG TYPICALLY
TARGETING AGITATION IN THOSE
LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S AND
DEMENTIA TO THE HUGE ADVANCES
LITERALLY AGAIN, SCIENCE
FICTION 3 YEARS AGO. BUT TODAY
A REALITY. AND NOW OUR FOCUS
REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON MAKING
SURE THAT FOLKS THAT COULD
BENEFIT FROM THESE DRUGS HAVE
ACCESS TO THESE DRUGS THAT
ADVOCATE ING THAT THE CENTERS
FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID WOULD
COVER THESE DRUGS FOR FOLKS
THAT THEY COULD BENEFIT BECAUSE
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
NO, THERE’S NO BARRIER TO
PEOPLE RECEIVING CARE THAT
COULD GIVE THEM MORE TIME WITH
FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
>> AND FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW
ABOUT THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE
ASSOCIATION. SO WHAT IS YOUR
MISSION AND HOW DO YOU GUYS
HELP LOCAL FAMILIES?
>> SO OUR MISSION IS TO HELP
ALL AFFECTED BY ALZHEIMER’S AND
DEMENTIA IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I’M PROUD TO SAY THAT OVER
THE PAST FOR YEARS, WE HAVE
DOUBLED OUR IMPACT IN THE
COMMUNITY. LAST YEAR WE SERVED
3600 FAMILY. BUT THIS CURRENT
YEAR WE HEARD 3600 FAMILIES,
WHICH IS A A AGAIN DOUBLING
OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS. WE
PROVIDE CARE AND SUPPORT
THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
WE HAVE SUPPORT GROUPS FOR
THOSE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA AND
THEIR CAREGIVERS. WE PROVIDE
EARLY STAGE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT THIS IS A REALLY ISOLATING
TO EASE. AND SO TO BE ABLE TO
GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING FUN,
BUT ALSO TO INTERACT WITH
OTHERS THAT ARE IN A SIMILAR
CAN BE WILDLY HELPFUL. AND, YOU
KNOW, WE ADVOCATE FOR THESE
ADDITIONAL FUNDS AT THE STATE
LEVEL, BUT ALSO AT THE NATIONAL
LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THE RESEARCH
IS MOVING FORWARD AND HERE
LOCALLY OUR WALK TO END
ALZHEIMER’S AND OUR OTHER
FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO HELP FUND
ALMOST 4 MILLION DOLLARS IN
ACTIVE RESEARCH RIGHT HERE IN
SAN ANTONIO AND SOUTH WE WE
REALLY TRY TO ATTACK IT ON ALL
FRONTS, BUT BUT THE REAL CORE
OF WHAT WE DO IS MAKING SURE
THAT SOMEBODY EXPERIENCING THIS
DISEASE HAS ACCESS TO RESOURCES
THAT CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF
LIFE AND ULTIMATELY, AS WE
FORWARD RESEARCH PUT AN END TO
THIS DISEASE.
>> ALL RIGHT, GREG, SHE DO WITH
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
THIS MORNING. ANYONE WHO MISSED