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 for the development of a plan to help state policymakers and stakeholders better understand how the estimated increase in people living 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, a State Plan on Dementia was developed. 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.

In 2022, the state released the 2022-2025 Vermont Action Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias & Healthy Aging, led by the Vermont Health Department’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program and the State Unit on Aging at DAIL. More than 40 stakeholders, including the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and Vermonters with Alzheimer's and their caregivers, were engaged in the process. The new state plan highlights goals that are in alignment with the National Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. These include enhancing public awareness and engagement; improving data to track progress; and accelerating action to reduce risk factors for dementia.

Empower First Responders with Dementia Training 

First responders interact with people living with dementia in a variety of settings and are critical to their health and safety. As Alzheimer’s disease often causes individuals to wander and exhibit disruptive behaviors, it is critical for first responders to receive proper training on how to recognize the signs of dementia and how to effectively communicate with these individuals. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state policymakers to adopt dementia training standards to ensure first responders understand the signs of dementia, effective communication strategies and locating missing people with dementia. Establishing dementia training standards will help ensure, people living with dementia remain safer in communities across the state.