FLORA, MS – Keith Plunkett, Mississippi Paddler and founder of Lucy’s Revenge: The Alzheimer’s Paddling Project made the following statement after the release of the new Facts and Figures report by the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association:
“These new numbers show that Alzheimer’s is going to be a significant challenge to our Medicaid system in Mississippi in the coming years. We are a rural state with a large number of individuals already on the Medicaid rolls; that number is going to increase exponentially in the next 10-20 years. It is irresponsible for public officials to ignore that fact. I issued a challenge last month to those individuals campaigning for public office to give a percentage of the millions they have raised in campaign funds and assist the roughly seven (7) percent of Mississippians who act as caregivers in this state. I stand by that challenge! A gift of a simple one (1) percent from campaign war chests could give the Mississippi Alzheimer’s Association the ability to provide support to hundreds of thousands of Mississippians. The help could also benefit early diagnosis efforts which may reduce costs to the state in the future. I support public officials who want to cut government spending, but they should also lead the way in showing that private sector giving can help solve our most daunting challenges. Political slogans don’t fix real problems, and developing long-term policy is only part of the equation. These are real Mississippi families with real problems that don’t end after the legislative session is gaveled to a close.”
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