Fight Alzheimer’s by supporting the B.O.L.D. act

June is Alzheimer’s Brain Awareness month. With more than 210,000 North Carolinians living with Alzheimer’s in our state, we must highlight the rapidly growing public health crisis in our community. After losing my grandmother to dementia, I witnessed the importance of ensuring information is plentiful and accessible to as many people are possible.

While Alzheimer’s might have been stigmatized, with treatments now available, it is so important for people in our community to understand the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s could make a huge difference. Educating people on the importance of early detection and diagnosis, understanding the disease, and how to support people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers is paramount.

Progress has been made to advance public health since the 2018 enactment of the bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L.115-406).Public health departments have made significant progress in improving brain health across the life course in communities like ours in North Carolina.

The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act (S. 3775 / H.R. 7218) would continue to build on this progress. This legislation will reauthorize the BOLD Act and empower public health departments to continue improving brain health and supporting caregivers.

Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in encouraging Congressman Dan Bishop to strengthen the Alzheimer’s and other dementia public health infrastructure by supporting the BOLD Reauthorization Act during Alzheimer’s Brain Awareness Month.

— Vernon Furr,
Salisbury