Jay Rockefeller earned the Legacy Award from the Alzheimer’s Association of West Virginia at the organization’s May 29 Thanks for the Memories luncheon.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sen. Jay Rockefeller has been recognized for his work with Alzheimer’s research.
Rockefeller, a longtime Democratic senator, earned the Legacy Award from the Alzheimer’s Association of West Virginia at the organization’s May 29 Thanks for the Memories luncheon.
The award recognizes Rockefeller’s longtime support of Alzheimer’s research. He founded the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in 2009 in memory of his mother, who died in 1992 at age 83.
The institute is the only non-profit organization in the world that supports research primarily on Alzheimer’s and other related diseases.
Rockefeller said his father-in-law also was diagnosed with the disease. Unlike many Americans suffering Alzheimer’s, Rockefeller’s mother and father-in-law were able to receive in-home care, thanks in part to their wealth.
“We have Medicaid, or you can be rich,” Rockefeller said, adding there is no option for affordable long-term health care in the United States.
Alzheimer’s diagnoses can spell years of financial difficulties for middle-class families. According to a national report from the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease is the nation’s most expensive, and it’s only expected to increase.
“In 2014, the direct costs to American society of caring for those with Alzheimer’s will total an estimated $214 billion, including $150 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid,” the report states. “Despite these staggering figures, Alzheimer’s will cost an estimated $1.2 trillion (in today’s dollars) in 2050…