Gov. Tom Corbett has signed an Executive Order establishing the Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Disease State Planning Committee.
 
The committee will work to create a state plan to address the growing Alzheimer’s disease crisis in Pennsylvania.
 
“Since Pennsylvania is the fourth ‘oldest’ state in the nation, it is critical that we unite to find a cure and help those who are living with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as those who care for them,” Corbett said. “This committee will bring together experts to address the challenging issues related to this disease.”
 
Corbett signed the executive order at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. The school’s  Alzheimer’s Disease Center is one of two Pennsylvania centers funded by the National Institute of Health for advanced research in Alzheimer’s disease. Through this funding, dramatic advances have been developed for more effective therapies in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
 
Over 400,000 Pennsylvanians are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Someone new is diagnosed every 69 seconds in the United States. Secretary of Aging Brian Duke will serve as the chairperson of the committee that will examine the needs and research the trends of Pennsylvania’s Alzheimer’s population. “With the growing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and the increase in older adult population, it is critical that Pennsylvania develops a plan of action,” Duke said. “I look forward to working with the committee to design a plan that will complement existing programs and create new pathways for identification and treatment.”
 
The committee will include representatives from various state agencies as well as those personally impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. They will have one year to develop a planned approach for Pennsylvania relating to Alzheimer’s disease and other related brain disorders.
 
"The establishment of the State Alzheimer's Disease Planning Committee is a timely and important initiative, and it comes when there is real hope in the Alzheimer's research community,” said John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Alzheimer's Disease Core Center.
 
“We are within striking distance of finding ways to slow or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration. This initiative will accelerate these efforts."
 
The establishment of the Alzheimer’s Disease State Planning Committee is effective immediately.
 
For more information, visit www.pa.gov.
 
Members of the Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Disease State Planning Committee will be named at a later date but will consist of the following:
 
• One person affected by Alzheimer’s disease
• One caregiver of a person with Alzheimer’s disease
• One family member of a person with Alzheimer’s disease
• One representative of the nursing home industry
• One representative of the assisted living industry
• One representative of the personal care home industry
• One representative of the adult day-care services industry
• One representative of the home care industry
• One representative of the medical care provider community
• One Alzheimer’s disease researcher
• One representative of a statewide Alzheimer’s association
• One representative each of the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and of Public Welfare
• One representative of the hospice industry
• One representative of a senior center
• One representative of the Area Agencies on Aging
• The majority and minority chairpersons of the Aging and Youth Committee and the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate or their designees
• The majority and minority chairpersons of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee and the Health Committee of the House of Representatives or their designees