49,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in Nevada

That number is projected to increase to 65,000 by 2025, the third highest growth rate in the nation.

February 9, 2024 - Washington, D.C. –On Thursday, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced legislation to reauthorize funding for their Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Originally passed in 2018, Cortez Masto’s legislation has delivered critical funding to combat Alzheimer’s disease and support caregivers and their families.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev)

“I passed bipartisan legislation to improve Alzheimer’s care for Nevadans like my grandmother who lost her life to this deadly disease, and it’s time we reauthorize this critical funding,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act will expand resources for research and treatment, boost support for caregivers, and make sure we can build on the progress we’ve made over the past 5 years. Fighting Alzheimer’s is personal to me, and I’ll keep fighting to improve the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients and support their families.”

With Senator Cortez Masto’s support, Nevada has received $1,350,000 in funding for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer Act. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has received three BOLD Program Awards to help implement the Nevada State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. In September 2023, Nevada received its latest BOLD award from the CDC to fund Alzheimer’s prevention programs.

In Nevada, 49,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is projected to increase to 65,000 by 2025—the third highest growth rate in the nation.

Specifically, the bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act would bolster Alzheimer’s care by increasing funding to:

• Support early detection and diagnosis, care planning and management, and programs to help caregivers.
• Help states like Nevada amplify public-private partnerships to promote brain health, reduce risk of avoidable hospitalizations, and enhance care for those with Alzheimer’s.
• Improve the analysis and timely reporting of data on Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, and health disparities at the state and national levels.

This bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. U.S. Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Senator Cortez Masto is a leader in the Senate in ensuring older Nevadans can access quality, affordable health care. She has cosponsored legislation to make health care more affordable by giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, capping drug costs, and limiting egregious price hikes by drug manufacturers. She is working across the aisle to extend Medicare enrollees’ access to telehealth services no matter where they reside.
Source: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto