Articles - From the Board

Letter to the Community From the Board of Directors

A taste of success make us hungry for more. During 1998, we devoted enormous energy toward persuading Virginia's legislature to adopt policies protecting and promoting the legal, financial and health security of people with Alzheimer's disease, their families and caregivers. As a direct result of our work, all law enforcement officers in Virginia will be trained to recognize and properly handle wandering by people with Alzheimer's; millions of additional dollars are now available for home and community based care programs; guardianship laws have been improved; and facilities will face tougher penalties if they violate laws aimed at protecting the health, safety or welfare of residents.

In the months to come, we again need your help to acheive a new set of goals for making Virginia state government more responsive to the needs of our Alzheimer's families. Please read the summary of our 1999 Legislative Platform later in this newsletter.

In 1999, we will be working to expand state funding for Alzheimer's respite care and Alzheimer's disease medical research, provide new consumer protection in managed care and long-term care insurance, and make sure that both public and private facilities are held to higher standards of care quality. Our goals are aggressive precisely because the challenges facing Alzheimer's families are so substantial.

You can help us improve the quality of life for Virginia's 100,000 Alzheimer's families by contacting Ian Niemi Kremer at the Chapter office and saying you want more information about the Alzheimer's Advocacy Team.

Sincerely,

Edward Zetlin, Esq.
President, Chapter Board