Arizona
Call your legislators and let them know you support the Dementia Training Standards Study Committee! Ask them to VOTE YES.
Also encourage your members to attend our 2nd annual Arizona Alzheimer's Association Advocacy & Awareness Day at the Capitol on February 26th! RSVP information below, or email [email protected]
Increase Public Awareness, Early Detection And Diagnosis
Support the Implementation of the Health Brain Initiative Road Map
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Public Health Road Map includes action items for state and local public health departments to promote cognitive functioning, address cognitive impairment and help meet the needs of caregivers. Early detection and diagnosis and risk reduction are the leading pillars of the Road Map. It is critical that public health officials take action to increase public awareness and education about known and potentially modifiable risk factors of cognitive decline and dementia. The Alzheimer's Association will work with the Arizona Department of Health Services to implement key action items in the HBI Road Map, including support for a public health campaign across Arizona.
Build a Dementia-Capable Workforce
Support SB 1357 to Evaluate and Improve Dementia Training Standards
People with Alzheimer's and other dementias receive care and support from a wide variety of health and long-term care professionals and rely on adult protective services and other first responders to protect them from abuse and exploitation. However, the medical, psychological, and social care needs of those living with dementia often make the delivery of care challenging and more demanding than for those with other health conditions. As our nation ages and the demand for such care increases, more must be done to ensure an adequately trained workforce. We must ensure a consistently high standard of care throughout Arizona. Senate Bill 1357 has been introduced to establish the Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Training Standards and Requirements Study Committee. The purpose of this committee is to evaluate, research and make actionable recommendations for establishing and implementing policy that will improve workforce training and standards, ensure that first responders are equipped with the skills to aide people with dementia, and make Arizona a dementia-capable state.
Arizona State Plan Overview
The Arizona Alzheimer's Task Force was established in 2011 as a collaboration of the Governor's Office on Aging, the Arizona Department of Economic Security Division of Aging and Adult Services, the Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, and the Alzheimer's Association Desert Southwest Chapter. The goal was to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, both public and private, to develop a plan to address the growing number of Arizonans with Alzheimer's disease. In 2015, the Task Force published the Arizona Alzheimer's State Plan: A Framework for Action, which was developed through the cooperation of more than 100 community members.
Arizona State Advocacy Day
February 26, 2019
Join us for the Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Day at the Capitol on February 26, 2019 from 8:30-4:00pm! Learn about the legislative process and best practices for working with your elected officials to enact legislation and affect change. Advocates will have an opportunity to meet with their state lawmakers to talk about how vital competency-based dementia training standards are when it comes to the quality of life, safety, and well-being of our loved ones, first responders, care providers and family caregivers, and show support for critical Alzheimer's research funding. Expect to hear from legislative champions, officials from the Arizona Department of Health Services, the governor’s office, and more. You’ll also have an opportunity to join the Association for a special recognition during the opening of the day’s floor session at the legislature.
2020 Advocacy Forum
March 22-24, 2020 alz.org/forum
As an Alzheimer's advocate, you've worked to advance critical public policy, making a difference in the lives of all those impacted by Alzheimer's. Together we've achieved great increases in federal Alzheimer's research funding and secured critical advances in care and support. But we can't take our successes for granted — we need to keep the pressure on.
Join us in Washington for an inspiring three-day event filled with networking, training and education.
Be part of the movement that's making a difference in the fight against Alzheimer's.
Sign Up to Learn More About Advocacy Opportunities in Arizona
State Affairs Contact Abigail Polito Hawkins | | [email protected]
Elected Officials
Enter your address here to see your elected officials' positions on Alzheimer's and ways you can contact them to support the Alzheimer's community.
Number of People Aged 65 and Older With Alzheimer's by Age
| Year | 65-74 | 75-84 | 85+ | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 25,000 | 64,000 | 55,000 | 140,000 |
| 2025 | 34,000 | 96,000 | 69,000 | 200,000 |
Percentage change from 2019
Medicaid
$386
MILLION
Medicaid costs of caring for people with Alzheimer's (2019)
40.0%
change in costs from 2019 to 2025
Medicare
$24,356
per capita Medicare spending on people with dementia (in 2018 dollars)
HOSPICE (2016)
#
of people in hospice have a primary diagnosis of dementia
of people in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
Hospitals (2015)
#
of emergency department visits per 1,000 people with dementia
dementia patient hospital readmission rate
Caregiving
Number of Caregivers
Total Hours of Unpaid Care
Total Value of Unpaid Care
Higher Health Costs of Caregivers
Number of Deaths from Alzheimer's Disease (2017)
| 5th | leading cause of death in Arizona |
| 193% | increase in Alzheimer's deaths since 2000 |
For more information, view the 2019 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report at alz.org/facts.
U.S. Statistics
Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and as many as 14 million will have the disease in 2050. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias is estimated to total $290 billion in 2019, increasing to $1.1 trillion (in today's dollars) by mid-century. Nearly one in every three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer's or another dementia.