Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias are a large and growing public health crisis. Today, there are approximately 130,000 people in Massachusetts living with dementia who are supported by over 340,000 family caregivers.

The Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Advisory Council, established under Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018, recently released the Massachusetts State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.

The Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Advisory Council is charged with advising the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Massachusetts state legislature on policies around Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The Council is currently chaired by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and is composed of a diverse panel of caregivers, clinicians, dementia advocates, health care providers, legislators, public health professionals, and researchers. The Advisory Council identified and discussed issues faced by Massachusetts residents living with dementia and their caregivers, as well as listened to the voices of individuals impacted by dementia and shared their own expertise, knowledge, and ideas.

The Massachusetts state plan includes recommendations and implementation plans approved by the Advisory Council for each of the following focus areas: (1) Caregiver Support and Public Awareness, (2) Diagnosis and Services Navigation, (3) Equitable Access and Care, (4) Physical Infrastructure, (5) Public Health Infrastructure, (6) Quality of Care, and (7) Research.

To read the full state plan visit http://bit.ly/MAAlzheimersPlan.