There are presently 426,000 New Yorkers diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. That number may be higher as there may be others who have yet to be diagnosed or experiencing early-stage symptoms that may yet to be realized.

 

The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held in Amsterdam in July, presented research it had carried out on the prevalence of people with Alzheimer’s disease in all 3,142 United States counties.

 

Representatives of the association said the State of New York ranks number two nationwide in total prevalence, and Bronx County tied for first place among U.S. counties for percentage of residents with Alzheimer’s. The research found that 16.6% of Bronx residents aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s.

 

What this research report reveals is that Alzheimer’s Disease has become a growing public health crisis in the New York and will only worsen as the population in the State ages.

 

I am a constituent of Rep. Ritchie Torres’s congressional district 15 in The Bronx. I am also an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association and a caregiver of a parent with Alzheimer’s.

 

September is World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. As someone affected by Alzheimer’s, I ask all NY congressional representatives, and especially Congressman Torres, my local representative, for their support in co-sponsoring of The NAPA Reauthorization Act (S.133/H.R. 619) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (S. 134/H.R. 620) in the current 118th Congress.

 

Reauthorizing the NAPA and AlzInvestment Act would help address health disparities in underrepresented areas in NY, especially The Bronx, and prioritize Alzheimer’s and Dementia research funding. For more information, visit https://aaic.alz.org/highlights2023.asp.

 

Dalma Riquelme lives in The Bronx and is an advocate for the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.