Gary
Barg:
Speaking of policy
makers, what do you
see Washington
doing? What do you
want Washington to
do?
Harry
Johns: We
believe the policy
makers should invest
more in research. We
believe they should
also be supporting
what would be
integrated care
approaches. We know
those kinds of
investments will pay
off for the country.
The real point is
that it will pay off
in such a human way
with so many people
who have the disease
today and the rising
numbers as the
boomers age. We
believe the greater
investments, for
support of care,
caregiving and
research, will make
a difference
immediately, and
certainly make a
huge difference both
human and financial
for the long-term
for individuals and
for the country.
We do not think
that today there is
that level of
investment that is
appropriate and
commensurate with
the impact of
disease already now,
let alone what is
going to happen when
we have the wave of
boomers who start to
get the disease.
Those boomers are
now 61. The
incidence curve
increases
dramatically after
65, and we are
headed for that
pretty rapidly. So,
we think they should
do more on those
specific fronts and
the sooner the
better for the sake
of both individuals
and the country.
Gary
Barg: If
there was just one
piece of advice that
you could leave
Alzheimer’s
caregivers with,
what would you say
that would be?
Harry
Johns: I
guess it is one of
the things and I
have seen it in your
magazine, too—the
whole idea of taking
care of themselves.
I think it is very
easy and
understandable,
completely
understandable, for
them to become so
involved in the
caregiving that they
do to not take care
of themselves. I
wind up flying a lot
in this job. On
every airplane I am
on, the flight
attendant goes
through the drill at
the beginning of the
flight and the
oxygen mask comes
down. You know if
you have got someone
with you, whether it
is a child or
another dependent,
the instruction is
to put your mask on
first because, if
you lose
consciousness, you
cannot take care of
the person you are
there to take care
of. That is one of
the most important
things any caregiver
can do is to care
for themselves so
that not only are
they well, but so
that they can do the
job that is so
important for the
person they are
caring for.
