WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the Carter Center announced that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 95, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter and a longtime advocate for expanded access to mental health care, has dementia, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement:

“A dementia diagnosis can be heartbreaking, but the more people know and talk about the condition, the more we can reduce the stigma and ensure people with dementia and their caregivers get the support they need.  Rosalynn Carter made it her life’s work to ensure that mental health be recognized as an important part of overall health.  By sharing this dementia diagnosis, the Carter family continues to help educate the public and make it a little easier for others who may be going through similar situations.  This sends an important, heartfelt signal to people living with dementia or providing care to someone who is struggling with dementia that they are not alone.  We wish the former First Lady and President Carter, who is in hospice, continued comfort and happiness.”