Annual Alzheimer’s and Dementia Report given to Arkansas lawmakers, requests state match federal grant for caregivers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas legislators got a firsthand look at the 2023 annual report from the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Advisory Council Tuesday.
Those working on the report are stressing the importance of working together on this issue, as the disease is the 6th leading cause of death in Arkansas.
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Public Policy Director for the Alzheimer’s Association, David Cook, presented the plan to the House and Senate Public Health, Labor and Welfare Committees.
In the plan, four main categories were discussed where the council would like to see the state focus:
Public awareness and education
Access and quality of care
Family caregiver support
Dementia training and workforce development
Cook also told lawmakers about the prevalence of Alzheimer’s in Arkansas.
“Numbers are going to skyrocket in the next few years as more baby boomers retire and reach retirement age,” he told KARK 4 News in an interview after the meeting.
The report shows over 58,000 Arkansans over the age of 65 currently have Alzheimer’s. By 2025, that number is expected to grow by nearly 10,000.
The report also calls on the state to match funding from a federal grant that is provided to Arkansas every year. The federal government gives $200,000 to the state annually for the Dementia Caregiver Respite Grant Program. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, 266 families have been served. 38% of those met the rural threshold. Only $67,000 remains for families to receive through June. Cook said that is expected to run out early, around February.
Families can receive $500 at a time, six months between awards.
Among the legislators hearing from Cook Tuesday was State Representative Jay Richardson (D-Fort Smith). Richardson is not on the committee that held the meeting, though in an interview requested by KARK 4 News, he said he came to the meeting to listen in, because his father is currently battling Alzheimer’s. Co-sponsor Josh Miller (R-Heber Springs) also told Cook in the meeting Tuesday he had recently lost a parent to the disease.
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Richardson said after the meeting that if he is reelected, we can expect to see him working on various pieces of legislation that address Alzheimer’s and Dementia needs in Arkansas.
“You go from seeing one of your heroes who’s a strong male figure who’s unable to talk who may know you today may not know you an hour from now,” Richardson said. “Those are tough times… those are tough times.”
Both Richardson and Cook told KARK 4 News they are encouraged by the report and pointed to some of the legislation that passed in the recent session that targets the issues.
Just two of the ones mentioned in Tuesday’s meeting were Act 102 and Act 682. Act 102 strengthens the advisory council by adding two members from underrepresented healthcare providers. Act 682 established an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services Coordinator within the Division of Aging at the Department of Human Services.
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Cook and Richardson said they look forward to seeing the state continue to step up in providing for not only patients but families and those caring for them.
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