Support Dementia Caregivers by Developing a Dementia Respite Care Program
Over 207,000 Mississippians are providing unpaid care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia thus enabling a large portion of the 57,000 people living with dementia in Mississippi 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 yet Mississippi currently has no dedicated respite care program for family caregivers of people with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association supports forthcoming legislation to establish a dementia-specific respite care program in Mississippi to support family caregivers of people with dementia. Funds from this program 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 work, take care of their personal medical issues, complete tasks outside of the home, or simply take needed time off from the demands of caregiving.
Continue the Commitment to Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research In Mississippi
More than 57,000 Mississippi residents are living with Alzheimer’s, and by 2050, the number of people with the disease is set to nearly triple. With Alzheimer's costing the Mississippi Medicaid Program over $606 million in 2020 (a figure expected to increase over 20% in 5 years), it is more urgent than ever that the state prioritize Alzheimer's research. The Alzheimer’s Association will urge the state legislature to ensure state funding is allocated to Alzheimer’s and dementia research. Mississippi must continue its commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia by continuing to dedicate $3 million in state funding for Alzheimer’s research in the upcoming fiscal year.
Protect Residents In Long Term Care Settings by Mitigating the Risk of COVID-19 and Addressing Social Isolation
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, and is creating pressing challenges for long-term care (LTC) communities and residents, where people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias represent a large proportion of LTC residents. There are also growing concerns that social isolation among people with dementia has contributed to individual decline and stress among family caregivers who cannot assess the health of their loved ones. To best support individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia during the pandemic, the Alzheimer’s Association has released a comprehensive set of long-term care policy recommendations for lawmakers focused on testing, reporting, surge activation, and providing support. The Alzheimer’s Association will continue to urge state policymakers to prioritize long-term care in the COVID-19 response.
Mississippi State Plan Overview
Mississippi's Strategic Plan to address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias is a project led by the Department of Mental Health, Division of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, in collaboration with other stakeholders, public and private. The Strategic Plan was published in 2015 as an update to the original plan published in 2010. In January 2020, the next iteration of the state plan was published, The State of Mississippi, Strategic Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, 2020-2025.
Mississippi State Advocacy Day
March 18, 2021
On Thursday, March 18th, Alzheimer's advocates across Mississippi urged state legislators to prioritize funding for key agencies that support people living with dementia and their caregivers. While the budget process continues, advocates made their voices heard to urge the legislature to prioritize people living with dementia!
