Lt. Gov. announces record Alzheimer’s funding during event in Ocala

Left, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez reacts to Christina Ramos, administrator of Touching Hearts at Home, who shares stories about her family’s touching story of elder care. [Julie Garisto]

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Posted July 19, 2023 | By Julie Garisto, julie@magnoliamediaco.com

According to Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, more than 580,000 people ages 65 and older in the state are dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related cognitive decline.

Nuñez visited the Hospice of Marion County Elliott Center in Ocala on Wednesday, July 19, for a media event to announce “record funding” earmarked for Alzheimer’s and dementia research and care.

The new state budget allocates more than $65 million for Alzheimer’s care and research, $12.5 million more than last year.

The state’s second-in-command officeholder was referencing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ funding for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, signing Senate Bill 806 to establish the Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia for You (READY) Act.

Described then as the final pillar of the five-part Dementia Action Plan, the establishment of the Florida Alzheimer’s Center for Excellence was part of the Freedom First Budget signed last year by the governor.

At the time, the funding marked a nearly 60 percent increase from previous expenditures since the governor took office in 2019.

For most, the news should supersede, if just momentarily, party allegiances and the current political buzz about DeSantis’ U.S. Presidential candidacy.

The mid-day press event coincided with the recent news that the governor lags behind former President Donald Trump in poll numbers forecasting the Republican primary winner.

“The idea that DeSantis needs a shake-up is widely held among Republicans,” said NBC News, citing “roughly a dozen strategists and donors, affiliated with the campaign and not.”

First-care responders, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, Florida Sen. Keith Perry, Florida Reps. Ralph E. Massulo and Ryan Chamberlain, Marion County Commissioners Kathy Bryant and Michelle Stone, and Ocala-based healthcare professionals were in attendance.

Other speakers at the event included Michelle Branham, secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs; Cary Eyre, dementia director at the Florida Department of Elder Affairs; Jennifer Martinez, the executive director of Marion Senior Services; and Christina Ramos, administrator of Touching Hearts at Home.

“We’ve taken active steps to combat this issue, ranking No. 1 in the country for funding for Alzheimer’s and related dementia,” Nuñez said.

Branham, appointed by DeSantis to serve as the agency head for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs in December 2021, spoke on the prioritization of addressing the debilitating diseases.

An estimated 800,000 people provide unpaid care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s and dementia, said Branham, adding, “I’ve experienced firsthand the impact Alzheimer’s has on families and loved ones.”

Under Branham’s leadership, the department serves Florida’s older adults, providing services and support initiatives through Florida’s Aging Network.

Ramos, whose parents were in the audience, shared her personal journey as a caregiver at the agency event on Southwest 34th Avenue.

“Our inspiration was my Nana,” Ramos shared. “My grandmother was diagnosed with the awful disease approximately 14 years ago and, at that time, it was the first time our family had encountered the decline of an aging loved one. It ripped our worlds upside down.”

Ramos went on to describe how her grandmother went from a thriving, self-sufficient woman to a debilitated, dependent medical patient known as a “wandering risk.”

“Today, she cannot feed herself. She cannot speak. She just babbles,” Ramos said. “Unfortunately, she can’t tell you if she has an appetite or she has to use the restroom … I know that there are lots of people in this room today who deal with our seniors and those facing Alzheimer’s or dementia. The $12.5 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to expand services at the 18 memory care disorder clinics here, and also to help other service providers, is phenomenal.”

Nuñez claimed that Florida now ranks first in the country for funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“So that’s something we are very proud of, we put our money where our mouth is and we understand we need to be forward-thinking and making sure we’re funding this in a way that’s appropriate,” said Nuñez.

She added that more than 115,000 people in Marion County are over the age of 65, making them more vulnerable to the disease.

“I know it takes a strong community to keep things moving forward, and I’m very blessed to be a part of one here in Marion County,” Martinez affirmed during her address.

“I leave you with this: 143,000 residents in Marion County are 60 and over; 54,000 of those are 75 and over; and 15,000 of those are probable Alzheimer’s patients in our future. While these numbers are daunting, I can confidently say we will meet these needs and challenges together.”