NATIONAL GRANGE NEWS
Addressing the Rising Alzheimer’s Crisis in Rural America
The National Grange recently supported the release of a new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) that examined how rural Americans face a disproportionate and growing burden from Alzheimer's disease – driven by structural barriers that delay diagnosis, limit access to emerging therapies, and impose staggering costs on patients, caregivers, and rural health systems.
The report, Leveraging Innovation to Improve Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Care in Rural America, highlights how rural populations – who are on average older, more medically vulnerable, and underserved by specialists and diagnostic infrastructure – are being left behind as Alzheimer's care rapidly advances. It also points to actions Congress and federal policymakers can take to expand Medicare coverage for emerging diagnostic and screening tools, strengthen the rural health workforce, invest in broadband and hospital infrastructure, and increase support for family caregivers.
