A bipartisan bill cosponsored by Maine Senator Susan Collins to combat Alzheimer's is poised to become law.
The BOLD Act would create a public health infrastructure to improve prevention, treatment and care of the disease.
Laurie Trenholm of the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association says more than 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's, including 28,000 in Maine.
"Having that infrastructure is game-changing in terms of states, all states, not just Maine, being ready to really deal with this in the way that it deserves," says Trenholm.
Trenholm says currently, Alzheimer's is viewed more as an aging issue than a public health issue.
"We've often been categorized as an aging issue, and really, anyone with a brain is at risk for developing this disease,” she says. “And looking at it as a public health issue is an important reframing."
The BOLD Act has passed the House and Senate, and now awaits President Trump's signature.
