Mr. Rogen Goes to DC

Mar 10, 2014 | Stacy Matson | Celebrity Health

So, what does a funny man do when faced with a not so funny problem?

Recently, actor Seth Rogen testified on Capitol Hill before a handful of Senators; and no, it had nothing to do with the legalization of marijuana. Instead, he talked about something much more important and personal - the rising costs of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. This particular topic hits close to home because Rogen’s mother-in-law has been struggling with the disease for nearly a decade.

During the hearing, Rogen talked about how the disease has impacted his family. He said, “When I started dating my wife, Lauren, nine years ago, her mother was almost 54 years old. At that time Lauren admitted to me that something was off with her mother.  A couple of years later she was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's.”  Rogen said the diagnosis surprised him because, like most people, he “thought [Alzheimer’s] was something that only really, really old people got.”

Once diagnosed, Rogen’s mother-in-law’s condition deteriorated rapidly.  He said, “After first forgetting who she was and who her loved ones were, my mother-in-law, a teacher for 35 years, forgot how to speak, feed herself, dress herself, and go to the bathroom herself, all by the age of 60. I saw the ugly truth of the disease… and until you see it, you just don't get how heartbreaking it can be.”  Seeing his wife’s family struggle motivated him to do something to change the situation.

So, what does a funny man do when faced with a not so funny problem?  He uses his celebrity, and a few of his famous friends to start a nonprofit organization.  “Hilarity for Charity” is a fund-raising group affiliated with the Alzheimer’s Association.  All proceeds raised by Hilarity for Charity are used to help families struggling with the disease, to fund cutting edge research, and perhaps most important, to educate young people about Alzheimer's disease. 

This last bit is particularly important because, like Rogan, most teens and young adults believe that Alzheimer’s is only “an old person’s disease.”  But, the truth is that Alzheimer’s is affecting more and more young people; people in the prime of their life.  So, rather than being disappointed that young people are so uninformed, Hilarity for Charity is focused on educating them about the realities of the disease. 

Rogen, a self-described lazy, man-child, is on a mission. He’s fighting for families that do not have vast resources because he understands what it takes to care for someone with Alzheimer’s.  At the hearing, he said, “People need more help. I've personally witnessed the massive financial strain this disease causes.  Lauren’s father and a team of caregivers have dedicated their lives to letting my mother-in-law be as comfortable as she can be.  They’d like to do more, but can’t.”

Although only a handful of Senators were at the hearing, Rogen’s celebrity probably got more people talking about Alzheimer’s disease in the past week than have in the past year.  And, hopefully, Rogen was able to persuade the few Senators there to support legislation that would increase federal funding for Alzheimer's research. This is crucial because there is no way to prevent, cure, or slow the progression of the disease.

According to the the World Alzheimer Report 2013 ‘Journey of Caring: An analysis of long-term care for dementia’, "globally, 13% of people aged 60 or over require long-term care. Between 2010 and 2050, the total number of older people with care needs will nearly treble from 101 to 277 million. Long-term care is mainly about care for people with dementia; around half of all older people who need personal care have dementia, and 80% of older people in nursing homes are living with dementia. The worldwide cost of dementia care is currently over US$600 billion, or around 1% of global GDP."

So, if Alzheimer’s hasn’t personally affected you yet, it probably will soon. Maybe Rogen can make a difference but not without you.


Stacy Matson is a health enthusiast from Southern California and regularly blogs on Celebrity Health for A Healthier World, as well as contributing to the Best of the Best.

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