Kentucky State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview
The Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Council was established through legislation enacted in 2000. In 2007, the Commonwealth of Kentucky enacted Senate Joint Resolution 6, which directed the Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Council to create a comprehensive strategy to respond to the growing Alzheimer's crisis. Appointed by the governor, the Council includes representatives from state agencies, local health departments, academia, and the medical research community as well as consumers and caregivers. The Council formed a wider work group to research and draft the State Plan. In January 2008, the Council published Setting a Roadmap to Address Alzheimer's in the Commonwealth: A Report of the Current and Anticipated Future Impact of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias on Kentuckians with Recommendations for Action. This plan was updated in 2017 and includes updated and new recommendations for combating Alzheimer's and dementia in Kentucky.
Kentucky 2024 Policy Priorities
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 require one hour of dementia-specific training for APS workers within the Department for Community Based Services.
Kentucky State Advocacy Day
Join us in turning Frankfort purple on February 19, 2025! We are looking for advocates from Pikeville to Paducah and everywhere in between to join us for a day of meetings with key members of leadership to discuss critical Alzheimer’s priorities and ask for their support. Never advocated before? No problem! We’ll train you and provide talking points before meeting with state officials. Make a difference, lift up your voice and inspire our lawmakers to take action on behalf of the Alzheimer’s and dementia community.
Sign Up to Learn About Advocacy Opportunities in Kentucky
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: Mackenzie Wallace, J.D.
Phone: 502.473.5344
Email: [email protected]
80,500
people living with Alzheimer’s in Kentucky
157,000
Kentuckians are providing unpaid care
$803 Million
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)
1,632
deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2021
15%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
430.8%
increase of geriatricians in Kentucky needed to meet the demand in 2050
Resources to Drive Change in Kentucky
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 Kentucky policymakers are addressing these gaps, and how you can help drive change.