A fund devoted to finding a cure for dementia brought in $75 million. The American Association of Retired Persons started the campaign “Disrupt Dementia” on June 25to bring more attention to the illness, which does not have a cure.
The organization started by donating $60 million to the Dementia Discovery Fund. UnitedHealth Group and Quest Diagnostics, donated the additional $15 million. Sam Shumway, the State Director for AARP Wyoming said he was excited to be involved in this movement.
“This campaign shows our commitment to this issue. We’re doing some good work, but with this commitment of dollars I think we are that much closer to ultimately finding a cure,” said Shumway.
One of the most common types of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. Wyoming currently has 9,700 cases of Alzheimer’s in people 65 and older, according to the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. That number is expected to increase by 34 percent by 2025. Shumway hopes AARP will continue efforts in helping cure this disease, as it most directly affects the organization’s members.
“This is an issue that’s really important for Wyoming. For people who are caregivers for those that suffer from dementia it can be a pretty significant burden. Family caregivers for those of dementia spend almost twice as much out of pocket to support their loved ones,” said Shumway.
Shumway said he wants his organization to be engaged in a more direct way to research dementia.