More than 334,000 Georgians are providing care to someone living with Alzheimer’s. The number is expected to increase with the rapid upward trajectory of the disease both in the United States and in Georgia.
To help caregivers’ meet the unique needs of their loved ones’ living with dementia, local Alzheimer’s advocates are working directly with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to urge state lawmakers to fund a dementia care specialist in every Area Agency on Aging in Georgia. The Dementia Care Specialists will provide families with dementia-specific case management, tips and support for caregivers, and improve care coordination. . They will also be able to provide community education and mobilize dementia-specific community resources and supports. The program would employ a dementia care specialist (DCS) in each of our twelve Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) across the state thus improving the state’s response to the growing number of families impacted by Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
“We are asking the General Assembly to make a $1.25M investment in the creation of a Dementia Care Specialist Program to meet the unique needs of people living with dementia”, added MaryLea Boatwright Quinn, Director of Government Affairs for the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “This program is modeled after a highly successful one in Wisconsin. We’d love for Georgia to lead the way in the Southeast by investing in a proven concept to improve the lives of people living with dementia and reduce caregiver burden with dementia-specific services.”
In addition to the community-based DCS staff, a full-time Program lead in the Division of Aging will ensure program quality and continuity and create an integrated data collection system across the program. This data will be a resource in developing strategies to ensure the Department and the state continue to become more “dementia-capable.”
“The AAA Network across Georgia encounters people living with dementia and their caregivers each and every day in the services we provide”, added Katie Howard, incoming Area on Aging G4A president. “Having a dementia care specialist in each community would help us strengthen our response to the unique needs of this population.”
Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death in America without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression. Consequently, in 2020 alone, Alzheimer’s and other dementias are expected to cost Georgia $1.265 billion. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Georgia alone, there are more than 150,000 people living with the disease and 334,000 caregivers.