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 2026 Policy Priorities
Strengthen Kentucky’s Dementia Care Infrastructure
Kentucky is home to over 80,500 individuals living with Alzheimer’s and 160,000 unpaid caregivers, placing a significant demand on the state’s health care system. To ensure these families receive the most benefit from new treatments and care planning, providers across the care spectrum need better resources to facilitate early detection and diagnosis. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to modernize the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Council, strengthen the Office of Dementia Services, and ensure the development of an early detection and diagnosis toolkit for providers.
Invest in Dementia Research in Kentucky
While many strides have been made to improve our understanding of dementia, significant work remains. State universities, hospitals and research centers are currently making new discoveries that enhance our knowledge of Alzheimer’s, but this momentum requires sustained support. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state policymakers to appropriate $5 million for dementia research at Kentucky’s NIH-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, ensuring the Commonwealth remains a leader in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
Empower Adult Protective Services Workers with Dementia
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 calling on the Department for Community Based Services to update their internal policies to ensure one hour of dementia-specific training upon initial hire and continuing education every two years.
Kentucky State Advocacy Day
Help us turn Frankfort purple for Alzheimer’s! Join fellow advocates at the State Capitol for a day of action — meeting face-to-face with legislators to share your stories and urge their support for critical policies that improve care and support for Kentuckians living with dementia and their families. Together, we can make an impact.
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: mlwallace@alz.org
80,500
people living with Alzheimer’s in Kentucky
160,000
Kentuckians are providing unpaid care
$1 Billion
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2025)
1,509
deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2022
15%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
200%
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.