Earlier in 2013, Governor Tom Corbett issued an executive order creating the Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Disease Planning Committee, and named Secretary of Aging Brian Duke as Chairman. The Committee was comprised of 26 members, including Senator Mensch, from various geographic regions of the Commonwealth, including state policy leaders, legislators, leaders in research and advocacy and those personally affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
The Committee worked for many months and developed a comprehensive state plan that prescribes ways to address the Alzheimer’s disease crisis in Pennsylvania.
‘An estimated 280,000 Commonwealth residents are living with Alzheimer’s disease; and the number is closer to 400,000 when adding in those living with related dementias,’ said Mensch. ‘We needed to address this issue, and I am very pleased with the report that was recently presented before the Governor.’
The Pennsylvania State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders provides recommendations to the Governor on addressing the epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders in the commonwealth. The report contains seven recommendations that were designed to address awareness, private and public partnerships, brain health, care and early diagnosis, family and caregiver support, healthcare delivery and workforce and research.
‘It was an honor to be a part of this effort and work with the individuals on this committee,’ said Mensch. ‘The level of commitment and dedication contributed by the members to the development of the plan was astounding and remarkable. That being said, we still have a lot of work to do to address this growing crisis. This is the first step of many to come.’
