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Florida's Elder Affairs Head Applauds Gov. Scott, Legislature For Alzheimer's Funds

Florida Department of Elder Affairs' Facebook

This year’s budget includes $5 million for Alzheimer’s disease research and $3.5 million for similar initiatives. And, the head of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs Sam Verghese says he’s very happy about that.

“There are people here that care and want to help engage in this issue,” he said. “I want to applaud Governor [Rick] Scott. I want to applaud the Legislature because there’s some additional funding that’s been put forward to help specific issues like this with Alzheimer’s Disease with dementia, and I want to thank them for that, millions of additional dollars.”

Joined by local and state officials, Verghese spoke to a group at the Tallahassee Senior Center. He announced the state’s Capital city and Leon County have been chosen to be the first to take part in a pilot project called the “Dementia Care and Cure Initiative.” The goal is to make more communities across Florida dementia-friendly. Verghese says Florida has the second highest incidence of Alzheimer’s in the nation.

Stay tuned to Friday's Capital Report for more on that story!

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.