We’ve been waiting for details and now they are here. The Obama administration plan to end Alzheimer’s disease by the year 2025 was announced May 15, 2012 by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The plan pledges millions of dollars for researchers as well as for those providing care and services for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sebelius said in the announcement that, "What we know is that a lot more needs to be done and it needs to be done right now, because people with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones and caregivers need help right now.”

A website that Sebelius calls a one-stop shop for families needing information on Alzheimer’s has been launched at www.alzheimers.gov. The site will help people find information about dementia and learn how and where, in their own communities, they can get the help that they need.

She also said that this summer, “doctors and other health providers can start getting some free training on how to spot the early signs of Alzheimer's and the best ways to care for those patients.”

An outline of the plan:

• The goal is to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. The Obama administration has invested $50 million in new Alzheimer’s disease research funding for this year and has pledged $80 million for research in 2013.
• Quality and efficiency of care is to be improved by better training for caregivers and physicians. The administration plans a $6 million investment over two years for health care provider education and outreach services.
• Families will get increased support. According to the report, “Supporting people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families and caregivers requires giving them the tools that they need, helping to plan for future needs, and ensuring that safety and dignity are maintained.”  The announcement states that $10.5 million for 2013 is proposed to support the needs of caregivers.
• Alzheimer’s awareness funding will be increased. The administration is investing $8.2 million over two years, beginning this year, to support public awareness initiatives.
• Progress will be tracked to indicate effectiveness. The administration proposes to “invest $1.3 million in 2013 for data collection improvement and increased understanding of the disease’s impact on people with the disease, their families and the health care system.”

Sebelius said in the announcement that, “These actions are the cornerstones of a historic effort to fight Alzheimer’s disease…This is a national plan — not a federal one — because reducing the burden of Alzheimer’s will require the active engagement of both the public and private sectors.”

Clinical trial focuses on one Columbian family

In the wake of the announcement by the Obama administration that pledges millions of dollars to end Alzheimer’s by the year 2025, a clinical trial that will test a new Alzheimer’s disease prevention drug is focusing on one family in Medellin, Columbia.