Rep. Earl L. Carter, US Representative for Georgia's 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Earl L. Carter, US Representative for Georgia's 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, Nanette Barragán, Darin LaHood, and Paul Tonko have introduced the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act. The bill aims to provide Alzheimer’s and dementia education and training to more primary care providers to enhance the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions.
Rep. Carter, a former pharmacist, emphasized the importance of expert care for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, stating, “During my decades in pharmacy, I saw the devastating toll that Alzheimer’s and dementia take on both patients and families. This is a difficult disease that steals a patient’s health and memory, and it is critical that all patients have expert care available to them.”
Rep. Barragán, who has personal experience with Alzheimer’s through her mother, highlighted the significance of early detection, saying, “The earlier Alzheimer’s disease is detected, the more time patients and families have to assess treatment and spend time with their loved ones.”
Rep. LaHood emphasized the need for high-quality care for those impacted by Alzheimer’s, particularly in Illinois, stating, “Alzheimer's impacts millions of families throughout America and in Illinois, and it is important that we give those impacted by the disease access to high quality care.”
Congressman Tonko emphasized the importance of primary care physicians in providing expert care for Alzheimer’s patients, stating, “Having the expertise of a primary care physician can alleviate some of that burden and drastically improve quality of care.”
Robert Egge, AIM President and Alzheimer’s Association Chief Public Policy Officer, expressed gratitude to the bipartisan group for their leadership in addressing challenges facing people living with dementia, stating, “The bipartisan AADAPT Act will empower primary care providers to better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia and deliver high-quality, person-centered care in community-based settings.”
The AADAPT Act aims to bridge the knowledge gap among primary care physicians regarding Alzheimer’s and dementia care, ultimately improving the quality of care provided to individuals living with these conditions.
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