April 14, 2015
The Honorable

Dear
My name is Maya Andrews and I am student at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. I am writing to inform you of the significant increase of individuals affected with Alzheimer’s disease and the cost of facilities to house them. I am studying towards receiving my certification to become an emergency medical technician and I have gone on many calls to housing facilities for people with Alzheimer’s. At the facilities not only was I given the chance to talk to the family of the affected individuals but also learned about how expensive it is to house someone in the home. The expenses concern me because it could easily be one of my family members.
In Virginia there is about 130,000 people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and it is predicted in 2025 it will be about 190,000 people affected resulting in a 46.2% increase according to the 2015 Alzheimer’s disease Facts and Figures of the Alzheimer’s Association. Government needs to be aware of the increase because it will increase the need for appropriate available treatment options, effective management of coexisting conditions, and coordination of care among physicians. As a state we need to be aware of the more homes needed to house affected individuals without it costing around $4,000 a month.
The fee to cover the average cost of incarceration for Federal inmates in Fiscal Year 2011 was $28,893.40 according to Charles E. Samuels, Jr., Director Bureau of Prisons. If you divide that number by 12, Americans pay around $2,408 of tax money a month to house an inmate and a family pays around $4,000 a month for an Alzheimer’s