WASHINGTON - Maine Sen. Susan Collins says the amount of money being spent on research into Alzheimer's disease and other dementia is woefully inadqueate.
At a hearing of the Senate Aging Committee, which she chairs, Collins told fellow senators that dealing with those with Alzheimer's and other dementia is a growing problem, as the number of older Americans continues to grow.
"It is now estimated that nearly one in two of the baby boomers reaching age 85 will develop Alzheimer's," Collins said.
Collins said $226 billion a year is already being spent on taking care of those with Alzheimer's, but very little - less than $600 million a year - is being spent on research into the disease.
Collins plans to introduce an amendment to the budget resolution under consideration in the Senate that would increase research funding levels.
