Texas State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview 

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In March 2009, the Texas Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders and the Texas Department of State Health Services Alzheimer’s Disease Program formed a steering committee charged with developing the state's response to Alzheimer’s disease. Working with a statewide partnership, representatives from the health care sector, community organizations, academia, state agencies, businesses and families impacted by Alzheimer’s drafted Putting the Pieces Together: A Comprehensive Plan for Addressing the Burden of Alzheimer’s Disease in Texas 2010-2015. The plan was published in September 2010. As a result of Senate Bill 999 passed in 2019, the Texas Department of State Health Services was required to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a new five-year state plan. In 2019, the Texas Department of State Health Services released the 2019-2023 State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Texas 2023 Policy Priorities

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Support Funding for Early Detection and Diagnosis 

During the past two biennium, the Texas legislature increased its commitment to Alzheimer’s care and support by appropriating $500,000 per year to the Alzheimer’s Disease Program (ADP) within the Texas Department of State Health Services. Alzheimer’s care and support has profound implications on the Alzheimer’s community — leading to higher costs on individuals, our health care systems and our government. The state’s support for the ADP has simply not kept pace with the continued increase in the need for services and support. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state legislators to support an investment of $10 million over the biennium for Alzheimer’s care and support at the Texas Department of State Health Services with an emphasis on increasing the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia in the state.

 

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Empower Law Enforcement with Dementia Training 

Law enforcement officers frequently interact with individuals who have Alzheimer’s and other dementias in a variety of settings. Individuals with Alzheimer’s have unique needs, requiring additional support to keep them and others safe. Without proper training on how to recognize the signs of dementia and how to effectively communicate with people living with dementia, situations may escalate quickly with potentially dangerous consequences. Enhancing education of the disease and training in de-escalation tactics can often effectively address situations and ensure the safety of individuals with dementia as well as the safety of the first responders. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state legislators to ensure all new Texas law enforcement officers receive dementia training and dementia continuing education is provided to current officers.

 

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Establish Dementia Training Standards for Professional Care Staff 

The number of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia in various care settings is growing. More than 40% of those in residential care facilities, such as assisted living facilities, have Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Individuals with Alzheimer’s have needs that often make care delivery challenging and more demanding than residents without Alzheimer’s. Person-centered dementia training for all direct care workers in assisted living facilities can improve the quality of care and experiences for people living with dementia The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on legislators to ensure that all professional care staff involved in the delivery of care to people with dementia receive at least four hours of initial dementia-specific training and two hours of continuing education in dementia care.

 

Find My Chapter

Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.

Contact Us

State Affairs Contact: Melissa Sanchez

Phone: 713.314.1301

Email: msanchez@alz.org

400,000

people living with Alzheimer’s in Texas

1.1 Million

Texans are providing unpaid care

$3.2 Billion

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)

1.8 Billion

increase in Alzheimer’s deaths since 2000

22%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

276.9%

increase of geriatricians in Texas needed to meet the demand in 2050