In 2017, the Minnesota Legislature (2017 Session Law) called on the Minnesota Board on Aging to reconvene the Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group (ADWG) to review and revise the Preparing Minnesota for Alzheimer’s: the Budgetary, Social and Personal Impacts. As with the original 2009 work group, this working group made recommendations for policies and programs that would prepare Minnesota for the future. The 2018 work group was led by a Minnesotan who is living with mild cognitive impairment and included health care providers, family caregivers, researchers, and representatives from state and local health and human services agencies. The ADWG gathered expert research and background information and solicited input from the general public. The Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group Legislative Report was published in January 2019 and presented to the Minnesota Legislature.

Expand Access to Respite Care for Dementia Caregivers 

More than 166,000 dementia caregivers in Minnesota provided 225 million hours of unpaid care in 2025, often enabling their loved ones to live in the community instead of moving into more costly residential long-term care. However, over half of the community caregivers in Minnesota are living with chronic health conditions. Respite care provides necessary relief to family caregivers, allowing the caregiver to take care of their personal medical issues, complete tasks outside of the home or simply enjoy time off from the demands of caregiving. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging lawmakers to pass legislation that permanently funds respite care grants and increases state benefits that can be used to pay for respite care for dementia caregivers.