In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick directed the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter, to draft a state plan addressing Alzheimer’s disease within the state. In response, these two agencies convened an Advisory Committee that included families and individuals impacted by the disease as well as representatives from state and local health and human services agencies, councils on aging, academia, public safety agencies, and professional caregiver associations. Gathering public input, the Advisory Committee published the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders State Plan in February 2012. Following 2018 legislation (Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018), a new State Alzheimer’s Plan was released in April 2021.

Establish a Public Health Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s 

There are over 135,000 residents of Massachusetts living with Alzheimer’s. Numerous state agencies administer a variety of programs that are critical to people living with dementia and their families; however, these efforts are often siloed with multiple state agencies working separately from each other. This lack of coordination is hindering the ability of Massachusetts to evaluate the effectiveness of policy efforts that serve those living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to support legislation that would establish a Public Health Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s. Specifically, the legislation would create a Dementia Services Coordinator position at the Department of Health and Human Services, require the state to collect and report dementia-specific datasets, and fund an Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia public awareness campaign.