Advocate


 photo of US Capitol

Join the cause

The Alzheimer’s Association--Greater Kentucky & Southern Indiana invites you to become an Alzheimer advocate. Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

What is an advocate?

Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.
As an advocate, you will:
  • Receive regular updates about current legislative and public policy issues.
  • Stay on top of policy and legislative issues through alerts and updates.
  • Make calls or write to legislators to forward public policy priorities to improve quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s.
Add your voice to ours — become an advocate today! 


What is an Alzheimer's Congressional Team (ACT)?

The ACT is made up of one Ambassador and multiple team members who help advance the federal legislative goals of the Alzheimer's Association. Ambassadors are grassroots volunteers selected to serve as the main point of in-district contact for a member of Congress. They play a critical role by working directly with national and chapter staff to implement federal advocacy activities at the community level. Congressional team members support their ambassador by conducting, or assisting with, additional advocacy activities. 
 
We are not currently seeking any Ambassadors or team members for the Greater Kentucky & Southern Indiana area. Please contact our Chapter office if you would like more information: infoky-in@alz.org

Kentucky advocacy

Contact your state legislators about important Alzheimer's issues. Visit the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission website for information about who represents you in the Commonwealth how to contact them. 
Please let us know if you do make contact or if there is any way we can help you prepare for a successful meeting.

Below are the bills that passed this legislative session:

HB144 - In-home care for elderly and disabled persons
Primary Sponsors: Representatives Tom Burch and May Lou Marzian
This bill will require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to establish a presumptive eligibility program for Medicaid eligibility for homecare; require 60 days of funding for individuals with pending applications following a presumptive eligibility process; state requirements for screening tools, financial eligibility determinations, and written agreements; require the Department for Medicaid Services to make a final determination within 45 days of the receipt of a completed form; provide for penalties for social services districts that contain high levels of subsequent ineligibility determinations; require a state plan amendment be filed by the cabinet if necessary; allow a retroactive use of presumptive eligibility for some of the first months of 2015. This bill has been signed by the Governor.

SB77 - Medical order for scope of treatment
Primary Sponsors: Senators Tom Buford, Dorsey Ridley, Danny Carroll and Denise Harper Angel.
This bill will define "medical order for scope of treatment"; permit the completion of a medical order for scope of treatment directing medical interventions; require the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure to promulgate administrative regulations to develop a standardized medical order for scope of treatment form, and list the required contents of the standardized medical order for scope of treatment. This bill has been signed by the Governor.

 

2015 Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day at the State Capitol - CANCELED 

The Kentucky Legislature confirmed they will not meet on Tuesday, February 17 due to the inclement weather and road conditions. We encourage you to continue moving our message forward by meeting with your legislators, whether in Frankfort or your home district, and share your stories. Please let us know if you do make contact or if there is any way we can help you prepare for a successful meeting. Thank you.



Thank you again to everyone who joined us on January 29, 2014 at the State Capitol and participated in our Kentucky Alzheimer's Advocacy Day. Because of you, we are making progress. Because of you, we WILL achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.

Advocacy Day 

   

   

Indiana advocacy

Indiana advocate events and information can be viewed here.

Federal advocacy   

Chapter advocates from Kentucky and southern Indiana join with hundreds of others from across the country at the annual Alzheimer's Association Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C. each spring. We meet with our members of Congress and their staff to personally express:
  • The urgency of increasing the allocation for Alzheimer research in the federal budget: medical research is needed for better treatments and to develop ways to prevent the disease; and
  • The need to help caregivers, increase detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and provide access, information and support for newly diagnosed patients and their families.
2015 Alzheimer's Association Advocacy Forum
On March 25, Alzheimer's advocates and staff met with lawmakers to encourage their support of legislation and funding critical to the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

2015 McConnell Visit Group
Our delegation waiting to enter the office of Senator Mitch McConnell.  

 
2015 Paul Visit
Visiting with Senator Rand Paul and his Legislative Assistant Natalie Burkhalter.


2015 Guthrie Plate
Ambassador Christy L'Heureux presenting Congressman Brett Guthrie with the 2015 Alzheimer's Association Humanitarian Award. 


2015 Barr Visit Group 
Alzheimer's Association Ambassadors and staff met with Congressman Andy Barr.


Mark your calendars and plan to join us at the 2016 Advocacy Forum April 4-6 in Washington, D.C. This is an opportunity to learn about key policy priorities and meet face-to-face with your Members of Congress to educate them about Alzheimer's disease and its potentially devastating effect on our country's economy, businesses and citizens.

Act Now

Share your story!
Do you have a personal story to share? Do you have ideas about how services could be improved? Please contact infoky-in@alz.org or (502) 451-4266 to find out how you can let the policymakers know what needs to be done. 
Or contact your legislators directly about important Alzheimer's issues. 

Events

Conversations with a Congressman - Tuesday, September 1, 2015
This summer Congressman Brett Guthrie has been stopping by restaurants to hear what's on people's minds and two of our advocates used this opportunity to talk with him about Alzheimer's disease. Our thanks to Rep. Guthrie for sharing with them his own personal involvement with the disease and his hope for a cure to end Alzheimer's.
Conversations with Guthrie
 

Coffee with a Congressman -
 Thursday, September 3, 2015
Evansville area residents joined us for Coffee with Congressman Larry Bucshon where we discussed the recent professional judgement budget proposed to Congress by the National Institutes of Health, presenting legislators with the amount of funding needed for a significant Alzheimer's breakthrough and how Rep. Bucshon can help us ensure that Congress continues to make funding for Alzheimer's research a priority. Also discussed was the Congressman's perspective on the stigma that surrounds this disease and how the lives of those affected by it will improve if there is a wider understanding of, and sensitivity to, Alzheimer's.
Coffee with Bucshon 

Then, just a couple days later, Rep. Bucshon became the newest cosponsor of the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act! His support for the well-being of the families we represent is very meaningful. If passed, the HOPE Act will ensure that Medicare beneficiaries newly-diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and their families receive comprehensive care planning services and documentation of the diagnosis in their medical record. HOPE will also educate health care providers on the benefit and require that recommendations are made to eliminate any beneficiary access barriers. For more information on the HOPE Act, visit www.alz.org/hopeact