District of Columbia State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview
In 2012, the District of Columbia Office on Aging (DCOA) established a workgroup of community partners and stakeholders to develop an Alzheimer's plan. The District of Columbia State Plan on Alzheimer's Disease 2014-2019 was published a year later to mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's disease and improve access to benefits for those affected within the District. In an important next step, legislation enacted in 2019 created the role of Dementia Services Coordinator in the D.C. Department of Health and is tasked with implementing and updating the District’s State Alzheimer’s Plan. After convening a Brain Health Coalition of stakeholders across government, private sector partners and advocates, the District released The District of Columbia State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias 2024-2028. The updated State Plan highlights the prevalence and burden of Alzheimer's in the District and emphasizes Alzheimer's as a public health issue. The Plan includes recommendations around increasing public awareness, supporting dementia family caregivers and strengthening the health workforce.
District of Columbia 2026 Policy Priorities
Strengthen D.C.’s Readiness to Address Alzheimer’s and Dementia
With over 15,100 District residents living with Alzheimer’s, Washington, D.C. faces one of the highest prevalence rates in the nation. Yet, 67% of residents with cognitive decline have never discussed their symptoms with a doctor, highlighting a critical gap in detection and care. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Council to modernize the District’s public health response by formally integrating brain health and dementia risk reduction into the Department of Health’s existing chronic disease infrastructure. Furthermore, to ensure the health care workforce is prepared to support this growing population, the District must equip clinicians with the dementia knowledge necessary for timely detection, diagnosis and appropriate care.
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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: Andrew Ross
Phone: 202.638.8663
Email: ajross@alz.org
15,100
people living with Alzheimer’s in the District of Columbia
15,000
Washingtonians are providing unpaid care
$146 Million
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2025)
70
deaths from Alzheimer’s disease in 2022
18%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
25
number of geriatricians in the District of Columbia in 2021
Resources to Drive Change in District of Columbia
The following resources developed by AIM and the Alzheimer’s Association will help you learn more about the issues impacting people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, how District of Columbia policymakers are addressing these gaps, and how you can help drive change.