Could This Investment Spur Major Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research?
Last week we learned of some exciting news in the area of Alzheimer’s and dementia research.
Bill Gates announced a personal investment of $50 million in the Dementia Discovery Fund—a private fund working to diversify the clinical pipeline and identify new targets for treatment. This news could potentially impact anyone who has been or will be affected by Alzheimer’s or related dementias, as well as help accelerate Alzheimer’s and dementia research.
Everyday Firstlight Home Care works with patients who suffer from many different forms of dementia. We see firsthand the effect this disease has on families, their loved ones and the caregivers providing care. We sat down with our own CEO, Jeff Bevis, to get his take on this news. Here’s what he had to say:
“We see the rapid rate in which people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. And because many people with dementia wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible, the need for dementia care services continues to increase across the United States.
I applaud Bill Gates’ personal investment to help accelerate this great work to combat Alzheimer’s. And I absolutely agree with his areas to target for greater progress in research and development. He called out these five areas where improvements are needed:
- A better understanding of how Alzheimer’s unfolds, including a better handle on its underlying causes and biology.
- Earlier detection and diagnosis of the disease.
- More approaches to stopping the disease.
- Easier methods for getting people enrolled in clinical trials.
- Better use of the data that is compiled so that researchers can look for patterns and identify new routes for treatment.
Bill Gates is making this investment on his own to ‘support the brilliant minds doing this work’. I am optimistic that by adding his interest, his investment and his personal family experience to this effort, it will make a significant impact on progress and bring us a brighter future faster.”
You can read more about this announcement on The Blog of Bill Gates.
If you are caring for a family member with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, learn how FirstLight’s Dementia Care Program can give you peace of mind and make a difference in your loved one’s care.
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