Date: 1992-03-10
Speaker: LESLIE DUNN (democrat)
Chamber: S

Alzheimers Disease Research Center. Pittsburgh. PA. DEAR Ms. DUNN: In response to Senator Specters request. I am writing the following brief summary of our familys experience with my mother. Thelma Sigar. Members of our family first began discussing possible problems with my mothers memory in 1988. It began as very simple items such as being confused about social engagements or not remembering facts relayed on a telephone conversation. As things became gradually more noticeable over a twoyear period. we inquired of a family physician who recommended us to the ADRC. During the five years that she has been enrolled in the program. we have seen a gradual decline in her mental faculties. In 1987. she was living alone. working fulltime in our family business. and participating in many charity and social activities. In addition. she would travel to Florida for vacation during the winter. However. each year we saw a diminishment in these capabilites. First was her inability to travel alone on an airplane. Second. a major trauma occurred in 1989 when. after several small traffic accidents. we decided that she was no longer able to drive. This was a very difficult period for the family since my mother had been very independent as far as going to work and attending her various meetings. The ADRC was able to refer us to a professional evaluator who gave my mother tests and confirmed our decision. After this date. she continued to go to work on her own by using the ACCESS system of senior citizen public transportation. Gradually. though. we found it necessary to employ someone to pick her up from work and make sure that she was able to do her shopping and get home. During the last year. my mother has undergone a rapid degradation of her memory and other cognitive facilities. It seems hard to remember that Just one year ago she was working fulltime. Today. it is necessary to have someone living with her fulltime. She could no longer use any type of public transportation and. indeed. could not be left alone in a supermarket to do her own shopping. Telephone conversations have become much more difficult. and it is necessary to speak to her fulltime caregiver in order to transmit any kind of information. The family is fortunate to have the financial capabilities to handle personal care in this situation. We often talk about what would happen If this were not the case. There is no medical insurance or Medicare that pays for any of the personal care necessary for her. It certainly would take the fulltime care of someone to watch her even at this medium stage of Alzheimers Disease. and that would mean someone in this family giving up employment and spending that time period with her. In addition. the strain on a family member during that kind of an arrangement is very difficult. For our family. the worst part lies ahead as we expect another five or six years of continuing diminishment until she reaches the stage of not being able to care for herself in even the simplest physical manner. We expect that our expenditures will be $30$33.000 a year over this time period for her care. In addition. there is even the greater loss of having a healthy. vibrant person "disappear" before your eyes. During the course of our discussions with Senator Specter. we determined that even with his proposals the total amount of money spent for research per patient in the United States during 1991 was approximately $60. It would seem that even a simple cost benefit analysis would reveal that a much larger expenditure would actually be "profitable" when compared to the necessary outlays for public assistance and lost contributions of family members who are forced to stay at home rather than work in the productive sector. I would suggest that you followup on the opportunity to present Alzheimers research as a profit opportunity rather than an additional public expenditure. If I can be of any further help. please call me at 4125533632. Sincerely.