Florida
Increase Public Awareness, Early Detection And Diagnosis
Include Alzheimer's in the Florida State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
The Florida Department of Health's State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) creates a blueprint for action in our state. The SHIP sets primary goals for Florida's public health system which includes a range of stakeholders, such as state and local government agencies, health care providers, employers, community groups, universities and schools, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups. The department uses a collaborative planning process to foster shared ownership and responsibility for the plan's implementation, with the goal of efficient and targeted collective action to improve the health of Floridians. The Alzheimer's Association seeks to promote early detection and timely diagnosis in Florida by getting Alzheimer's and related dementias listed on the Florida SHIP. This action would seek to improve the healthcare offered to Floridians and their families living with Alzheimer's disease by enhancing and increasing concern and awareness and promoting early detection and early diagnosis through the Florida Department of Health's network.
Increase Public Awareness, Early Detection And Diagnosis
Fund the Brain Bus and Broaden Outreach to Diverse Communities
The "Brain Bus" is a mobile outreach program that broadens outreach to diverse and underserved communities through education, support and referral services. This program serves Florida families living with Alzheimer's and related dementias. We seek to expand these services in more communities throughout the state and provide services to each major region in Florida.
Increase Access to Home and Community-Based Services
Support Funding for Alzheimer's Respite Services
The Alzheimer's Association supports the Florida Department of Elder Affairs' Budget Recommendation for additional funds for the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI) which provides much-needed respite services for caregivers in Florida. We also support additional funding for the Community Care for the Elderly Program (CCE). These funds support many of the 1.1 million Floridians who provide unpaid care daily for persons with dementia and help to mitigate the rising financial burden the disease has on Florida's healthcare system.
Advance Alzheimer's Policy
Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation in Florida (HB 143)
A 2012 national report found that survey respondents age 65 and older were more likely to be solicited for fraud, more likely to engage with potentially fraudulent financial opportunities, and more likely to have lost money. The Alzheimer's Association seeks to reduce the number of seniors in Florida who are abused and exploited by fraudulent financial schemes. House Bill 143 protects vulnerable adults from financial exploitation by putting safeguards on financial transactions in place if the financial advisor is suspicious of the intent, and calls for financial advisors to receive training on Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Advance Alzheimer's Policy
Support Increased funding for the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Research Program
The Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Research Program was established by legislation in 2014. Every year since its inception, this program has been providing grants for groundbreaking research happening in the state. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in Florida and it is also the most expensive disease in America and remains critically underfunded. We know the quickest way to prevention, treatment and ultimately a cure, is through research. This is our most direct path to create a change in the trajectory of this disease.
Advance Alzheimer's Policy
Reauthorize Florida's State Alzheimer's Plan and Enhance the Role of the Alzheimer's Advisory Committee (HB 449)
In 2012 the Alzheimer's Association joined a group of key stakeholders in Florida including the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, elected officials, law enforcement and private citizens, to conduct a needs assessment and identify recommendations to adequately address Alzheimer's in Florida. Released in 2013, the report helped Florida become one step closer to becoming a dementia capable state. With Florida having the second highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the nation, we must reassess and reauthorize Florida's Alzheimer's State Plan. House Bill 449 revises representative requirements of Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee membership, requires the committee to submit an annual report, and requires the Department of Elderly Affairs to review and update Florida's Alzheimer's disease state plan every three years. Reauthorizing the current plan and empowering the leadership of the state's Alzheimer's Advisory Committee will provide an opportunity to conduct a current needs assessment, secure public input, include updated best practices for quality care, consider new data and public health outcomes, and incorporate updated policy recommendations.
Florida State Plan Overview
In 2012, the Florida legislature passed HB 473, establishing the Purple Ribbon Task Force (PRTF) within the Department of Elder Affairs, consisting of 18 culturally diverse individuals appointed by the Governor, the President of the Florida Senate, and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. The legislation required the PRTF to submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report of its findings and date-specific recommendations in the form of an Alzheimer's disease state plan. The state plan is based upon the January 2013 “PRTF Interim Report.” The Task Force published the Final Report and Recommendations, State Plan on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Forms of Dementia (ADRD) in August 2013. Although the legislation terminates the task force with the submission of the state plan, the findings and date-specific recommendations in the state plan provide a catalyst to mobilize a state response to this public health crisis, and a guide to modernize state policy with respect to persons having ADRD.
Florida State Advocacy Day
February 05, 2019
Florida's Annual Alzheimer's State Advocacy Day - “Rally in Tally” - hosts hundreds of volunteer advocates from across the state to advocate for legislation that supports the 540,000 individuals living with Alzheimer's and the 1.3 million caregivers providing unpaid care. Florida has the second highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the country. Our state is “ground zero” for this healthcare crisis. That is why dedicated Alzheimer's advocates from Key West to Pensacola, and from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, join us for this empowering and impactful event two-day event. We will host a purple lighting ceremony and press conference on February 5th, where the Old Capitol will become aglow in purple. On the Capitol steps, hundreds will gather to celebrate the following day – February 6th – where we will meet with every state legislator in Florida to share our stories and advocate for Alzheimer's in Florida.
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 Florida
State Affairs Contact Jon Conley | 850-566-7478 | [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 | 87,000 | 230,000 | 240,000 | 560,000 |
| 2025 | 120,000 | 330,000 | 280,000 | 720,000 |
Percentage change from 2019
Medicaid
$2.601
BILLION
Medicaid costs of caring for people with Alzheimer's (2019)
31.2%
change in costs from 2019 to 2025
Medicare
$28,636
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)
| 6th | leading cause of death in Florida |
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.