Letters to the Editor, July 7

WHY THE WAIT?

I am writing about the June 30th letter to the editor in the Peninsula Gateway regarding Congressman Kilmer. If the author has been waiting three years trying to get a response from the Congressman regarding their question, why wait till election time to send your letter? The author’s goal is obviously trying to put the Congressman in a bad light since he is up for re-election. I had the honor of working for Congressman Norm Dicks and remember how many people were anxious about losing a major political figure when Congressman Dicks retired. But there was a leader who was a natural fit to fill the void and that was Derek Kilmer. His private and public sector experience prepared him to serve his constituents dutifully including our active military and veterans. Congressman Kilmer’s staff does an amazing job serving over 500,000 constituents and has helped thousands of those constituents including our active military and veterans. We need Congressman Kilmer fighting for us in both Washingtons.

increase funding for alzheimers research

Imprisoned in one's own rapidly shrinking brain is how a doctor described it. Alzheimer’s disease is the third leading cause of death in Washington, with over 107,000 currently living with the disease and being cared for by 324,000 unpaid family members. By 2050, those numbers will more than double.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most expensive disease in America, costing more than $236 billion in 2016. Since none of the care provided slows the disease’s progression, precious lives and scarce resources are simply vanishing. To increase annual funding for National Institutes of Health research on Alzheimer’s – currently just below $1 billion – is a crucial investment. The Senate Appropriations Committee has just approved a bill adding $400 million to that figure. The House should do the same.

For those who have been diagnosed early, well informed financial, legal and medical planning drastically improves a dementia patient’s quality of life. For those in end stages, focusing on symptom management and reduction of pain and stress reduces unnecessary hospitalizations, sparing families trauma while saving public funds.

Congressman Denny Heck, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Maria Cantwell have been very supportive of Alzheimer’s legislation, which is outlined at www.alz.org/advocate. I thank them all and urge them to add $400 million for Alzheimer’s research and also to cosponsor H.R. 3119/S. 2748, which will increase the availability of palliative care and hospice providers.

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor, July 7."