In October 2013, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) convened the Dementia Care Stakeholder Summit. Participants discussed a redesign of the state’s dementia care system in order to provide appropriate, safe and cost-effective care throughout the entire course of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. With input from the Summit, DHS released a draft State Plan for public comment and review. DHS incorporated the stakeholder input into its final published report, Dementia Care Redesign: A Plan for a Dementia-Capable Wisconsin, released in February 2014. 

In 2018, DHS conducted a public survey to get input from individuals and professionals impacted by memory loss or dementia. DHS convened the 2018 Dementia Summit with key stakeholders including family caregivers, advocacy organizations, health and human services agencies, legislators, clinicians, researchers, home care providers and long-term care providers to review the public survey and identify priority areas. Four priority areas were identified: 1) Care provided in communities where people live; 2) Improving how health care providers diagnose and care for people with dementia; 3) Responding to crises involving people with dementia; 4) Care provided in assisted living, nursing homes, and other residential communities. These priorities formed the foundation of the Wisconsin State Dementia Plan: 2019–2023. 

During 2022 and at the start of 2023, state partners engaged in an information gathering process through 49 different community events. Three State Dementia Plan Summits were also hosted to collect input on the next iteration of the state plan’s goals, strategies, and implementation. In April 2024, the 2024-2028 State Dementia Plan was released, which aims to enhance public education and community support, grow a dementia-capable workforce, improve coordinated care, data and research, enhance policy and advocacy, and support BOLD implementation strategies.