LeadingAge joined more than 360 Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease (LEAD) coalition member organizations and allies who on June 28 sent a joint letter to Congress reiterating support for dementia-focused FY 2024 appropriations priorities. These issues had been communicated earlier this year by the health, aging, and science advocacy community. The letter renews the call for the FY 2024 appropriations bills to include substantial increases in funding to strengthen the national response to Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia and legislative report language to advance health equity, cognitive health promotion, and the public health response to dementia.

“We sincerely thank you for recognizing and decisively responding to the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) by passing Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations with a historic funding increase for Alzheimer’s research. We applaud your continued determination to seize the enormous opportunities for America by investing in the science, care, and support required to overcome these challenges and for recognizing the consequences if we fail to continue acting with the required urgency. Doing so is a national priority, economic and budgetary necessity, health and moral imperative,” the letter states.  Read the full letter here.