U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL) is shining a spotlight on Minnesota’s commitment to at-home caregivers of dementia patients Wednesday.
Klobuchar says new legislation will offer extra support to families who care for people living with Alzheimer's and dementia.
"Over 11 million caregivers provided over 18 billion, that's billion with a B, hours of care in 2020," says Klobuchar. "And we just have those numbers to show you how much happens in one year to Alzheimer's and dementia patients. That is why I'm so focused on this caregiver issue."
The senator added that her late father, newspaper columnist Jim Klobuchar, also struggled with Alzheimer's making the issue a personal one for her, especially during the holiday season.
Klobuchar is highlighting the passage of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act. The Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide funding to state and local health departments for dementia risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis, and evidence-based support of unpaid caregivers.
BOLD funding that has been authorized under this law supports the Minnesota Department of Health Healthy Brain Initiative, and the BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving housed at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.