Virginia State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview
The Virginia Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission serves as an advisory board within the executive branch and assists people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia as well as their caregivers and families. In 2009, the Commission began collecting public input to inform a state plan on Alzheimer’s disease. In December 2011, the Commission published the Dementia State Plan: Virginia’s Response to the Needs of Individuals with Dementia and their Caregivers. They updated the plan in 2015, and it was most recently updated again in October 2019, when the Commission published the Dementia State Plan: Building a Dementia-Capable Virginia (2020-2024) to serve as an essential guide for policymakers to better serve Virginians living with dementia.
Virginia 2023 Policy Priorities
Empower Law Enforcement with Dementia Training
Law enforcement officers are critical to the health and safety of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. They frequently interact with individuals living with dementia in a variety of settings and are among the first to observe instances of abuse and neglect. 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. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the General Assembly to require newly recruited law enforcement officers to receive dementia training after graduating from the justice academy to ensure new officers understand de-escalation tactics, protocols for contacting caregivers and available local resources.
Continue the Work of the ADRD Commission
To better serve Virginians living with dementia and their caregivers, the state established the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) Commission. The ADRD Commission, set to expire on July 1, 2023, serves as the appointed body to advise state agencies on issues related to the dementia population in the state. To continue the important work of this commission, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to support legislation to renew and strengthen the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission and promote stronger coordination between state agencies that frequently interact with Virginians living with dementia.
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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: Joshua Myers
Phone: 804.864.3678
Email: jlmyers@alz.org
150,000
people living with Alzheimer’s in Virginia
351,000
Virginians are providing unpaid care
$1 Billion
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)
524 Million
increase in Alzheimer’s deaths since 2000
19%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
259.3%
increase of geriatricians in Virginia needed to meet the demand in 2050
Resources to Drive Change in Virginia
The following resources developed by AIM and the Alzheimer’s Association will help you learn more about the issues impacting people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, how Virginia policymakers are addressing these gaps, and how you can help drive change.