SENATE RESOLUTION

                            8638

By Senators Franklin, Spanel, Sheldon, B., Rasmussen, Kohl-Welles and Johnson

     WHEREAS, Alzheimer=s disease is a serious medical condition that afflicts nearly

four million Americans; and

     WHEREAS, In the United States, an estimated ten percent of the population has Alzheimer=s disease by the age of 65, and nearly half of the elderly population suffer from it by the age of 85; and

     WHEREAS, Since it was first diagnosed by German doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1906, Alzheimer=s disease has shown to be more prominent in females than males; and

     WHEREAS, There is no cure for Alzheimer=s disease, which affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language; and

     WHEREAS, Vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and

strokes are key suspects of Alzheimer=s disease and are able to prime the brain to develop the clinical symptoms for developing Alzheimer=s disease; and

     WHEREAS, Alzheimer=s disease patients require varying degrees of extensive care depending on the stages of their disease, which can range from simple forgetfulness, to wandering and disillusions; and

     WHEREAS, It is estimated that as many as fifty percent of individuals in United States nursing homes suffer from Alzheimer=s disease, and that the financial hardships to families caring for Alzheimer=s patients is approximately $50,000 annually; and

     WHEREAS, This disease affects persons of all social and economic backgrounds including former United States President Ronald Reagan, statesman Winston Churchill, actress Rita Hayworth, novelist E.B. White, entertainer Frank Sinatra, and automotive pioneer Henry Ford.

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate does hereby recognize the suffering of the victims of Alzheimer=s disease, a devastating condition also known as the Along good-bye,@ and the hardships on the families of those with Alzheimer=s disease, which will only become more prominent as the baby boomer population continues to age; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Alzheimer=s Association of America.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8638,

adopted by the Senate April 10, 2001.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate