NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Dozens of Tennesseans headed to the State Capitol Wednesday to advocate for Alzheimer's patients’ caregivers.
More than 80 people impacted by impacted by disease met at the capitol, urging lawmakers to pass the Colonel Thomas G. Bowden Memorial Act. Sen. Shane Reeves (R) and Rep. Ryan Williams (R) are sponsors of the bill.
The Alzheimer's Association in Tennessee says the bill would provide "crucial support and immediate relief to Tennesseans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and their caregivers."
It would start a three-year program to give Tennesseans with Alzheimer’s or dementia desperately needed services, including respite care, personal care and home-delivered meals.
Advocates of the bill say legislation is necessary because caregivers dedicate millions of unpaid hours each year to more than a 100,000 people affected by the disease.
