Establish a Public Health Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s 

There are 280,000 Pennsylvanians living with Alzheimer's. Numerous state agencies administer a variety of programs that are critical to people living with dementia and their families, however, these efforts are often siloed with multiple state agencies working separately from each other. This lack of coordination is hindering the ability of Pennsylvania to evaluate the effectiveness of policy efforts that serve those living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to support legislation that would establish an Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) Division within the Department of Health, and establish an ADRD Advisory Committee. Additionally, the Association is advocating for the codification of the State Alzheimer’s Plan with the requirement that the Plan be updated regularly.

Promote Early Detection and Diagnosis 

In 2022, Pennsylvania enacted Act 9 into law, requiring the Department of Health to improve early detection, diagnosis, and awareness of Alzheimer's and other dementia among the general public and the health care workforce. The Department was successful in making information about dementia, and other helpful resources, available on their website, but more work to implement the full potential of this Act is needed. The Alzheimer’s Association is advocating for state lawmakers to allocate $150,000, of the $750,000 infrastructure funding request, to ensure all provisions of Act 9 of 2022 are fully implemented.