Alabama State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview

Alabama state advocacy day
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In May 2012, the Alabama Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force was established (Alabama House Joint Resolution 433). The Task Force was charged with assessing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease, examining the care service system, and developing strategies to respond to the Alzheimer’s and dementia crisis in Alabama. The Task Force included representatives from state agencies, health care organizations, and community organizations as well as state legislators, caregivers, researchers, and individuals living with Alzheimer’s. In April 2015, the State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Dementias in Alabama was published and serves as an essential guide for policymakers.

Alabama 2026 Policy Priorities

An image of a Family Caregiver with Patient in Wheelchair
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Empower Adult Protective Services Workers with Dementia Training

Adult Protective Services (APS) workers frequently encounter individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia when responding to emergencies and are often the first to observe instances of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Often the first point of intervention for a person living with dementia, APS workers must be able to recognize the signs of dementia and know how to effectively communicate with an individual living with dementia to ensure a timely response for victims of elder abuse. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to ensure APS workers have two hours of dementia-specific training upon hire and every two years thereafter.

Couple Talking with Doctor
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Remove Barriers to Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Over 103,000 Alabamians are living with Alzheimer’s, but as many as half of them are not formally diagnosed. A timely diagnosis is the first step in ensuring that individuals living with dementia can benefit from lifestyle modification, care planning and new treatments, which can improve the quality of life and reduce the financial and emotional burden on caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association urges state lawmakers to remove obstacles preventing timely diagnosis and pave the way for efficient, high-quality care.

Find My Chapter

Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.

Contact Us

State Affairs Contact: Nathaniel White

Phone: 256.290.7211

Email: nawhite@alz.org

103,600

people living with Alzheimer’s in Alabama

219,000

Alabamans are providing unpaid care

$1.2 Billion

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2025)

196.6%

increase in Alzheimer’s deaths 2000-2022

18%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

159.1%

increase of geriatricians in Alabama needed to meet the demand in 2050