1,500 Alzheimer's Advocates Protest Lack of California State Plan for Alzheimer's...

1,500 Alzheimer's Advocates Protest Lack of California State Plan for Alzheimer's Epidemic -- Capitol Rally Largest Ever in U.S.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Today 1,500 Alzheimer's Advocates gathered from throughout
California on the Capitol Steps in Sacramento for the largest advocacy
rally ever held in the United States. Every member of the California
State Senate and the California Assembly had for weeks been invited by
the Alzheimer's Association's five California chapters (the Rally
organizers) to connect with Rally participants - People with
Alzheimer's, family members, friends and neighbors, caregivers, health
care professionals and science researchers - by at least having their
photo taken with California constituents. Only five showed up: Senator
Elaine Alquist; Assemblywoman Patty Berg; Assemblywoman Fiona Ma;
Assemblyman Hector de la Torre; and Assemblyman Sandre Swanson.

The Alzheimer's Advocates Sacramento Rally message to their
elected representatives is:

1 Million California Baby Boomers will get Alzheimer's.

What are you going to do about it?

Facts presented to California legislators:

-- California has been a leader in addressing the challenges of
Alzheimer's disease. Now, we're in crisis.

-- California's Alzheimer's population will double within a
generation, adding over 11,000 cases each year. Soon every
Californian will either have it, or know someone who does.

-- Alzheimer's families are in danger - California established a
network of Alzheimer's Research Centers that leads the way in
diagnosis and research. We lead the nation with a model
network of Caregiver Resource Centers to address needs of
California's Alzheimer's caregivers. We lead with grants for
Alzheimer's Day Care Centers, often a life raft for many of
the 500,000 California Alzheimer's families - allowing many to
keep working.

-- Now our elected officials tell us we must reduce every
Alzheimer's-related program, from Adult Protective Services to
Medi-Cal to In-Home Supportive Services, cutting even the
modest services that help families keep their loved one at
home and out of more expensive care settings. California's
going in the wrong direction.

-- We must address this growing catastrophe. We must support
current - and future - California Alzheimer's families.

-- What is the plan?

Alzheimer's Association, California:
Northern California:
Jill Center, 650-962-8111
Cell: 415-730-5958
Jill.Center@alz.org
or
California Southland (Los Angeles, Riverside & San
Bernardino Counties):
Barbara Goen, 323-930-6265
Cell: 213-910-1949
Barbara.Goen@alz.org
or
Akila Gibbs, 323-930-6255
cell: 323-646-6834
Akila.Gibbs@alz.org
or
Orange County:
Jim McAleer, 949-955-9000
cell: 949-350-3546
Jim.McAleer@alz.org
or
San Diego/Imperial Co:
Brad Makaiau, 858-492-4400
Cell: 619-865-7556
Brad.Makaiau@alz.org
or
Santa Barbara/Central Coast:
Catherine Remak, 805-892-4259
Cremak@centralcoastalz.org

Copyright Business Wire 2008