In 2008, the Louisiana Legislature created the Louisiana Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force through the enactment of Senate Concurrent Resolution 80 to study the impact of Alzheimer's within the state and make recommendations to meet the growing issues presented by the disease. The Task Force included representatives from state agencies, care associations, long-term care providers, and community organizations as well as caregivers, state legislators, and individuals directly impacted by the disease. The Task Force presented their final report, The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease in Louisiana: A Report by the Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force, to the Louisiana Legislature and Governor's Office in October 2009. Following receipt of a federal BOLD grant, Well-Ahead Louisiana, a chronic disease prevention and health care access initiative of the Louisiana Department of Health, published an update to the state plan for 2023-2028. The state plan encompasses four issue areas, each containing specific goals aimed at tackling the challenges posed by Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

Equip Adult Protective Services Workers with Dementia Training 

Adult Protective Services (APS) workers are often called to address crisis situations or during times of distress. They frequently interact with individuals living with dementia in a variety of settings and are among the first to observe and intervene in instances of abuse, neglect and exploitation. To best serve and protect individuals living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state officials to update training standards for APS and Elderly Protective Services workers to ensure they receive one hour of dementia training within 90 days of hire to recognize the signs of dementia and one hour of continuing education annually for existing workers.

Establish Dementia Training Standards for Adult Day Care Centers

Across the country, 28% of individuals using adult day services have Alzheimer's and other dementia. To ensure adult day care centers in Louisiana can effectively support people living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Louisiana Office of Aging and Adult Services to require adult day care staff to receive one hour of dementia training upon hire and one hour of continuing education annually for existing staff. Training on topics such as the basics of Alzheimer’s and dementia, effective communication strategies and person-centered care can improve care delivery for people living with dementia.