Connecticut
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Protect funding for Home and Community Based Programs
Over 178,000 Connecticut residents are providing unpaid care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia thus enabling a large portion of the 80,000 people living with dementia in Connecticut to live in the community, instead of moving into more costly residential long-term care. Respite care provides a much-needed break for family caregivers. In cases where finances are tight, Connecticut's state-funded Alzheimer’s Respite Care Program steps in with limited but critical support. The Program funds can help provide occasional adult day care services or a personal care aide in the home a few times a month allowing the family 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. Without these funds, many caregivers risk worsening their own health. Additionally, the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) serves thousands of people age 65 + who are at risk for nurs
Address COVID-19 Challenges in the Long-Term Care Setting
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create additional challenges for people living with dementia, their families and caregivers. These challenges are particularly being felt in long-term care settings. Indeed, nursing homes and assisted living communities are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, where 48% of nursing home residents are living with dementia, and 42% of residents in residential care facilities, including assisted living communities, have Alzheimer’s or another dementia. We are urging state policymakers to continue to prioritize policy solutions to address the immediate and long term issues impacting care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we are supporting recommendations from the recent Mathematica report studying the state's response in long-term care settings as well as the Nursing Home and Assisted Living Oversight working group who is addressing the structural challenges in the operation and infrastructure of nursing homes
Connecticut State Plan Overview
In 2013, Connecticut's legislature passed Special Act 13-11, creating the state's Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. The Task Force met six times between September and December of 2013 and published a list of recommendations in December 2013 in the Report of the Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. The state plan focuses on short-term goals meant be completed over the course of three to five years. In January 2020, the Task Force published an update to the state plan, focusing on progress made, updating recommendations, and expanding the role for the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Connecticut State Advocacy Day
April 13, 2021
Join us for our virtual Day of Action on Tuesday April 13th, 2021 and make a difference in the lives of the 80,000 + Connecticut residents affected by Alzheimer's and all other Dementia. This exciting day will feature an informative and engaging virtual program with state government leaders to highlight the urgent need to continue funding Home and Community Based Services for people with Alzheimer’s and prioritize long-term care in the ongoing COVID-19 response. We will host a day of action on April 13, 2021 that will mix storytelling, advocacy training and direct engagement with your state government representatives. And we will all wear purple to unify us in our virtual efforts!
Sign Up to Learn More About Advocacy Opportunities in Connecticut
State Affairs Contact Christianne Kovel | 8609138279 | [email protected]
Number of People Aged 65 and Older With Alzheimer's by Age
| Year | 65-74 | 75-84 | 85+ | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11,000 | 32,000 | 37,000 | 80,000 |
| 2025 | 11,000 | 40,000 | 39,000 | 91,000 |
Percentage change from 2020
Medicaid
$1,022
MILLION
Medicaid costs of caring for people with Alzheimer's (2020)
16.1%
change in costs from 2020 to 2025
Medicare
$28,461
per capita Medicare spending on people with dementia (in 2019 dollars)
HOSPICE (2017)
#
of people in hospice have a primary diagnosis of dementia
of people in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
Geriatricians
Number of geriatricians in 2019
increase needed to meet Alzheimer's population needs in 2050
Hospitals (2017)
#
of emergency department visits per 1,000 people with dementia
dementia patient hospital readmission rate
increase in emergency deparment visits since 2007
Caregiving
Number of Caregivers
Total Hours of Unpaid Care
Total Value of Unpaid Care
Number of Deaths from Alzheimer's Disease (2018)
| 986 | total deaths in Connecticut | |
| 6th | leading cause of death in Connecticut |
For more information, view the 2020 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 13.8 million will have the disease in 2050. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias is estimated to total $305 billion in 2020, increasing to $1.1 trillion (in today's dollars) by mid-century. Nearly 1 in 3 seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer's or another dementia.