Support Implementation and Updates to the State Alzheimer’s Plan
Vermont published a State Alzheimer’s Plan after discussions with multiple stakeholders to outline how the state can address Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state leaders to continue to prioritize regular updates and implementation to the State Alzheimer’s Plan to support people with dementia and their family caregiver. Vermont must focus on addressing Alzheimer’s as a public health crisis; building a dementia capable workforce; increasing access to home and community-based services; and improving the quality of care in residential settings.
Prioritize Long-Term Care in the Response to COVID-19
The pandemic has exposed gaps in the provision of long-term care (LTC) in Vermont. As the state continues its response, the Alzheimer’s Association is urging state policymakers to prioritize LTC, focusing on testing; reporting; surge activation; and providing support. This includes providing LTC communities with access to rapid testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) so residents and their families can safely reunite, as well as ensuring that outbreaks are reported and that long-term care is included in the state’s emergency preparedness and response plans.
Vermont State Plan Overview
In 1991 Vermont's legislature enacted legislation that established the Governor's Commission on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. The Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), in its efforts to design and develop the State Plan on Dementia, convened a subcommittee of the Governor's Commission on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders and other aging network providers. This subcommittee was charged with providing guidance and oversight for the development of a plan to help the state policy makers and stakeholders better understand how the estimated increase in people with dementia will need to be met with a corresponding increase in resources; including caregivers, specialized care units, respite services and education. During 2007 and 2008, JSI Research and Training Institute Inc., under contract with the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living engaged in a planning process to develop a State Plan on Dementia. Soliciting feedback from community members, direct service providers, and families impacted by Alzheimer's, the subcommittee published the Vermont State Plan on Dementia in 2009.
Vermont State Advocacy Day
Use your voice to support people with Alzheimer’s and urge state lawmakers to support people with dementia and their families. Sign up to be an advocate and receive information on future state advocacy opportunities.
