NEW YORK, June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects more than 5 million Americans, and their families and caregivers. William Glass, who is originally from the Chicago area, and currently lives in Atlanta, has decided to raise awareness of this “national crisis that is bankrupting America” by embarking on a walk, beginning this weekend, from Atlanta, GA to Washington, D.C., spanning approximately 640 miles. While on this journey, he will carry around a petition, which he hopes to hand to President Trump, which will address the concerns of many families affected by the disease.
Along the way, William plans to have others sign this petition. He also plans to meet with state representatives and family members of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. He is calling upon the federal government to demand higher standards, ethics, transparency, education, and training in our dementia care facilities. William, who is a caregiver for his mother, Eileen, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease in a nursing home in Atlanta, wants to educate Americans about the disease, its prevalence and devastation. He will also be raising money for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
“Until the prevention and/or a cure is found, our long-term care industry is not prepared for the onslaught of victims,” said William Glass. “I feel that unless drastic measures are taken, we will start to see a warehouse epidemic.”
William’s trek, which he expects to complete in approximately 30 days, will take him through the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington D.C. He will be wearing teal-colored sneakers, which represent Alzheimer’s awareness. He is hoping that this campaign, which he calls “Until a Cure,” will help make a difference.
“It is truly admirable what Mr. Glass is doing. We need to increase awareness of this debilitating disease, while eliminating the stigma that goes with it,” said Bert E. Brodsky, AFA’s founder and chairman of the board. “We appreciate William’s efforts. It is a daring task. The more voices are heard, the more we can make a difference, and hopefully, reach the goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which is to find a cure by 2025.”
If William does indeed get to meet with President Trump, he plans to bring up issues, including stricter regulations on our hospice industry, the overuse of anti-psychotics/neuroleptic medications, and allocating more research money to alternatives for drugs that do not have a 60% mortality rate when prescribed. He also plans to ask the President why Medicare and Medicaid does not pay for at-home care when it’s cheaper than nursing home care.
William will be chronicling his journey on social media. He says that he is determined to keep fighting and advocating for Congress to provide more funding for research.
This is the second time that William has taken on such a challenging feat. In August, 2013, he also completed a walk from Chicago to Atlanta. At the time, he was living in Lombard, Ill., and his mission, called “Flowers for Mom,” was to get to Atlanta, where his mother was living, while raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s disease along the way. During that adventure, he walked more than 750 miles in two months, and raised more than $10,000.
About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide in the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening Program, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.