Two members of the Florida House–Republican state Rep. Scott Plakon of Longwood and Democrat state Rep. Matt Willhite of Wellington–have teamed up on a proposal to have the state government due more to help Floridians with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Willhite filed a bill on Monday which would have state agencies do more to help the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee and would create the Office of Alzheimer’s Disease as part of the Department of Elderly Affairs.
“I am proud to be working again on this important cause with my colleague, Scott Plakon”, said Willhite. “Last year we were fortunate enough to pass another piece of legislation related to Alzheimer’s Disease, but there is always more work to be done. Alzheimer’s disease touches the lives of 560,000 Floridians, and that does not include the individuals who act as caretakers to their loved ones. Therefore, I am excited to strengthen the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee and see the establishment of the Office of Alzheimer’s Disease within the Department of Elderly Affairs.”
Plakon, whose late wife Susie suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease, also weighed in on the proposal on Monday.
“Over the past several years, I’ve been honored to work with Representative Willhite and many other of our colleagues in a bipartisan effort to help the 560,000 Florida families that have been devastated by Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. The legislation that we are introducing today will help to position Florida as a national leader as we tackle how we, as a state, can provide services for our constituents who currently live with this disease and the 1.1 million caregivers that sacrifice so much,” Plakon said.
Reach Kevin Derby at [email protected].
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