{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399890", "U.S. Reps. Smith, Waters Mark National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and Memory Screening Month", "2016-11-03", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Maxine Waters (D-CA), House Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, thanked the Alzheimer\u2019s Foundation of America (AFA) for hosting free, confidential memory screenings and praised them for increasing the duration to throughout National Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Awareness Month in November.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe screenings offered by the AFA are incredibly important in helping our seniors make healthcare decisions,\u201d said Smith. \u201cWe will continue our effective collaboration between the Alzheimer\u2019s Task Force and the AFA as this working relationship has been key in raising awareness about Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia, helping to eliminate the stigma with which they are all too often associated and providing needed resources to hundreds of thousands annually.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNational Memory Screening Month is an excellent opportunity for individuals with memory concerns to get free and confidential screenings for Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other problems affecting memory,\u201d said Waters. \u201cIt is also an opportunity to raise awareness of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and promote the benefits of memory screening and early detection.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 AFA has hosted its National Memory Screening initiative during National Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Awareness Month for the past 13 years. This year, the program has expanded to the entire month of November, during which sites across the country, including the entire Kmart Pharmacy chain, will offer free, confidential memory screenings to the public, as well as patient education about brain health and successful aging.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To find the screening site closest to you enter your zip code here: http://www.afascreenings.org/.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Alzheimer\u2019s disease, a degenerative condition caused by a disease of the brain, is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. While Alzheimer\u2019s currently has no cure, early detection can help patients and caregivers plan for more positive health outcomes.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMemory screenings are a significant first step toward detection of memory problems,\u201d said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer\u2019s Foundation of America. \u201cSome memory problems can be readily treated, such as those caused by vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems. Other memory problems may result from causes that are not currently reversible, such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease. There are many benefits to early detection of memory problems. If a memory problem turns out to be Alzheimer\u2019s disease, an individual living with the disease can have an opportunity to participate in long-term care, legal and financial planning discussions with their families, and obtain social services support.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Memory screenings are not used to diagnose illness, but are an indicator to determine whether a person might benefit from further examination by a qualified physician. In addition to helping patients avoid or correct misdiagnosis and other medical problems, memory screenings benefit persons with healthy memory scores by dispelling fears, providing a baseline for future screenings and promoting healthy aging.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEarly detection of Alzheimer\u2019s disease expands options for care and treatment and helps individuals and families plan for their future,\u201d said Waters. \u201cI congratulate the Alzheimer\u2019s Foundation of America for organizing National Memory Screening Month.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI highly encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity for a free, confidential memory screening this month,\u201d said Smith. \u201cKnowledge is power, and in addition to providing earlier and more accurate diagnoses, memory screenings offer insight into brain health which improves quality of life for all.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For additional information on Alzheimer\u2019s disease and memory screenings, visit:\u00a0www.nationalmemoryscreening.org.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith and Waters teamed up in the 114th Congress to introduce Alzheimer\u2019s Action Now, a package of four bills that together aim to help Alzheimer\u2019s patients and their families; promote public awareness of Alzheimer\u2019s disease; and encourage voluntary contributions to research efforts.\u00a0The Alzheimer\u2019s Action Now legislative package includes three bills introduced by Rep. Waters: The Alzheimer\u2019s Caregiver Support Act (H.R. 3090), The Missing Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3091), and the Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Semipostal Stamp Act (H.R. 3092). The package also includes the Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer\u2019s Act (H.R. 1559) introduced by Rep. Smith.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Task Force co-chairs also requested an increase in funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically targeted for Alzheimer\u2019s disease in fiscal year 2017. Their efforts were recognized by the Appropriations Committee in the House, which approved a budget that included a $350 million boost at NIH for Alzheimer\u2019s research, for a total of $1.34 billion to continue the search for an Alzheimer\u2019s treatment and cure. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith co-authored the bipartisan National Alzheimer\u2019s Project Act or NAPA, which passed the House in 2010 and was enacted in 2011. NAPA set a goal of preventing and successfully treating Alzheimer\u2019s disease by 2025 and established a national plan to coordinate government and private sector research as well as improve care and support services for patients and families.\r\nClick here to read the national plan.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399890"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.882668886333704, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}