Join the cause

The Utah State Legislature passed a joint resolution in 2012 approving the State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. This plan outlined five major goals designed to combat Alzheimer’s disease.

These goals include:

1) Create a dementia-aware population;

2) Secure health and dignity for all with dementia and those at risk.

3) Support and empower family caregivers.

4) Ensure a dementia-competent workforce.

5) Expand Alzheimer’s research in Utah.
**The plan additionally calls for specific strategies to be implemented related to each of these goals.

NEWS UPDATE!
On Thursday, February 5, 2015, House Bill 175 (HB 175) was voted on in the House Health & Human Services committee and passed! HB 175 will now be put before the entire House for a vote. Stay tuned for more information as it comes in.

Background:
In order to create a framework in which the State Alzheimer’s Plan can be implemented, the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is promoting legislation to identify Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as a public health issue, and specifically designate the Utah Department of Health as primarily responsible to implement the State Alzheimer’s plan into its strategic planning process. Representative Paul Ray is sponsoring a bill (House Bill 175) designed to amend the duties of the Department of Health in this way..

There are 28,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in Utah. That number is expected to increase by 50% by 2025. Caring for those with Alzheimer’s are 144,000 caregivers providing care at a total unpaid cost of nearly 2 billion dollars. These numbers are staggering.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Utah Chapter invites you to become an Alzheimer advocate. Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

Add your voice to ours — become an advocate today.

Act Now

Upcoming Events

Utah Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2015
Time: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Utah State Capital; Morning registration/training will be in the Spruce Room

2015 Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. - Register to attend

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What is an advocate?

Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.

As an advocate, you will:

Receive regular updates about current legislative and public policy issues.
Stay on top of policy and legislative issues through alerts and updates.
Make calls or write to legislators to forward public policy priorities to improve quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s.

Utah Alzheimer's State Plan

For a copy of the Utah State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, please contact Melissa Lee at mlee@alz.org.

For more information, Become an Advocate or Call the Utah Chapter at 801-265-1944.

Federal advocacy
National Alzheimer’s Plan Updated

On Friday, June 14 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released theNational Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease: 2013 Update.

This updated version of the National Plan includes a summary of progress achieved so far as well as new goals in the areas of research, care and services. Highlights of the updated plan include additional action steps that HHS and its partners will take, such as:

Development of a unified Alzheimer’s disease training curriculum for primary care providers.
Expansion of efforts to detect and address elder abuse and neglect, including demonstration grants to help promote legal services groups that assist families and communities impacted by Alzheimer’s.
Development of an expanded Dementia Capability Toolkit to help communities provide dementia services.

To read the update, visit http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/napa/NatlPlan2013.shtml.

It's Time To Get Smart About Alzheimer's Research
Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America and is set to increase like no other. It’s estimated that Alzheimer’s costs to our country will soar to over $1.2 Trillion per year by 2050. In addition to those costs, billions more are being spent by caregivers as they struggle to care for the millions of loved ones with this disease.

Despite these staggering costs to our nation, chronic underinvestment continues in Alzheimer’s disease research. For every $27,000 spent caring for those with Alzheimer’s, a mere $100 is spent on research. That just doesn’t make sense. Smart investments in other conditions have shown great success and are paying off, both in terms of cost AND lives saved.

Estimates show that if we simply had a treatment that delayed onset of Alzheimer’s by just five years, Medicare spending on those with the disease would decrease by 45 percent in 2050, and the physical, emotional and financial burden on caregivers would be reduced.

It’s simple arithmetic; invest now, save later.

Please urge your U.S. Senator to support an additional $100 million in resources for Alzheimer's disease research, education, care and support activities.