HM 53 — ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH & FUNDING

HOUSE MEMORIAL 53 57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2025 INTRODUCED BY Pamelya Herndon 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE AGING AND LONG-TERMLONG- TERM SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO COLLABORATE WITH THE NEW MEXICO CHAPTER OF THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION AND ANY OTHER ENTITY DEEMED APPROPRIATE OR BENEFICIAL TO, USING THE BEST AVAILABLE EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH REGARDING BRAIN HEALTH, UPDATE AND INTEGRATE THAT RESEARCH INTO THOSE DEPARTMENTS' RESPECTIVE e t 17 PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND CAMPAIGNS AND w l n d 18 INTO THOSE DEPARTMENTS' RESPECTIVE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER = = 19 a l EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND CAMPAIGNS AND FURTHER i a e r 20 REQUESTING THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING AND a t m m 21 RESOURCES FOR THE UPDATING AND INTEGRATION EFFORTS THROUGH THE d r e 22 FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION ON AGING'S ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PROGRAMS c e s k 23 INITIATIVE AND ANY OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS, FUNDS OR RESOURCES e a n b 24 THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE.

u [ .231090.1 WHEREAS, according to the national institute on aging, Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys an individual's memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the individual's ability to carry out simple tasks, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults;

and WHEREAS, according to Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, published by the Alzheimer's association, nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease HM 53 Page 1 and one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, and together these dementias cause more deaths than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined;

and WHEREAS, that same publication indicated that in 2024, 14 Alzheimer's disease and other dementias would likely cost the nation three hundred sixty billion dollars ($360,000,000,000), and the costs could rise to one trillion dollars e t 17 ($1,000,000,000,000) by the year 2050;

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, according to the New Mexico chapter of the = = 19 Alzheimer's association, more than forty-six thousand people in a l i a e r 20 the state are living with Alzheimer's disease, and sixty-sevensixty- aseven t m m 21 thousand caregivers dedicate a staggering one hundred eighteen d r e 22 million hours of unpaid care;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, in 1960, Dr.

Alois Alzheimer noticed changes in e a n b 24 the brain tissue of a woman who died of an unusual mental u [ illness, and upon examining her brain, Dr.

Alzheimer found many .231090.1 - 2 - abnormal clumps, now called anyloid plaques, and tangled bundles of fibers, now called neurofibrillary or tau tangles;

and WHEREAS, an increased understanding of brain health derived from the best available evidence-based research related to cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is essential to increase the public's understanding HM 53 Page 2 and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and the warning signs, risk reductions and early detection of such debilitating brain diseases and is equally essential to educate the public about the relationship between chronic diseases and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias;

and WHEREAS, there are significant challenges faced by caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other e t 17 dementias, including obtaining access to resources that may be w l n d 18 available to help support caregivers with these challenges;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, health care providers can play a significant role i a e r 20 in educating individuals about the risk factors and early a t m m 21 detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other d r e 22 dementias;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, it is essential to provide education and e a n b 24 resources to the state's health care providers regarding the u [ importance of validated assessment tools for detection and .231090.1 - 3 - diagnosis of cognitive impairment and the value of employing those tools during an individual's medicare annual wellness visit, along with ensuring that health care providers understand the medicare care planning billing codes for individuals with cognitive impairment, the provision of effective care planning and available treatments;

and WHEREAS, health care providers will be better enabled to provide the best standard of care for individuals faced with HM 53 Page 3 an Alzheimer's disease or other dementia diagnosis if the health care providers have access to the best evidence-based research on brain health and related diseases;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, the need for federal funds and resources is w l n d 18 clear, and focused efforts to obtain those funds and resources = = 19 a l for New Mexico could play a significant role in the state's i a e r 20 ability to positively impact education, awareness and care for a t m m 21 all New Mexico residents whose lives, or the lives of their d r e 22 loved ones, are touched by Alzheimer's disease or other c e s k 23 dementias;

e a n b 24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF u [ REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department .231090.1 - 4 - of health and the aging and long-term services department, in collaboration with the New Mexico chapter of the Alzheimer's association and any other entity deemed appropriate or beneficial, be requested to, using the best available evidence-evidence-based based research regarding brain health, update and integrate that research into those departments' respective public health education and outreach programs and campaigns and into those departments' respective health care HM 53 Page 4 provider education and outreach programs and campaigns;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that to assist with the costs of updating and integrating public health outreach programs and campaigns, the department of health and the aging and long-termlong- term services department be requested to seek to obtain funds and resources from the federal administration on aging through the federal administration's Alzheimer's disease programs initiative and any other federal programs, funds or resources e t 17 that may be available;

and w l n d 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of health and = = 19 a l the aging and long-term services department be requested to i a e r 20 work together to produce a report on the outcomes of the a t m m 21 efforts to update and integrate evidence-based research and d r e 22 information regarding Alzheimer's disease for education and c e s k 23 outreach programs and campaigns as requested in this 2025 e a n b 24 memorial and to provide that report to the New Mexico u [ legislative council and the governor;

and .231090.1 - 5 - BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of health, the secretary of aging and long-term services, the New Mexico chapter of the Alzheimer's association and the New Mexico legislative council.

-HM 653 -Page 85 1025 12 14 16 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .231090.1