Advocates for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, including those in Arkansas, are calling for more support from the state. It’s all part of the 2025 Annual Report that members of Arkansas’ Alzheimer’s Advisory Council reviewed and released on Monday, September 15. As Little Rock Public Radio reports, David Cook, with the Alzheimer's Association, told the council that caregiving often involves unpaid family members.
Cook relayed to council members, “In Arkansas, more than 173,000 state residents provided 265-million hours of unpaid care for a family member. And that’s a contribution of $5.4 billion in cost-savings to the state of Arkansas. So, the more we can do to support our family caregivers, we’ve identified that, as a committee, as a priority of ours.”
Cook says the state has seen success in its Respite Care Grant Program, which he urged policymakers to make permanent and provide yearly funding. “We were trying to hit those family members who made too much for Medicaid, so they didn’t qualify for Respite under the waiver services, but they did not quite make enough to be able to afford in-home care. And I’m happy to report that like 80% of our participants, I think it was 81.4% of our participants fall into that income category.”
More than 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, or other forms of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. That includes over 60,000 Arkansas residents over the age of 65.On page 14/14 the 2025 report offers these recommendations to Arkansas leaders:
Public Awareness & Education
- Dementia Service Coordinator Position to be filled
(Through Department of Arkansas Human Services) - State Appropriation Secured to fund a robust public health strategy prioritizing risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis, and the importance of brain health.
Access & Quality of Care
· Establish Medicaid Coverage for Cognitive Screening: The state Medicaid Program does not currently offer this benefit.
Family Caregiver Support
· Establish a Permanent Dementia Respite Grant Program – Establish a recurring state appropriation.
In October 2022, the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Advisory Council updated the Arkansas State Plan, prioritizing four key areas guided by the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Roadmap (Alzheimer’s Association & CDC). For more details click here. The Alzheimer’s Advisory Council meeting at the Arkansas Capitol continues the work spelled out under Act 391 of 2021.
