Have Your Say on the RI Alzheimer’s State Plan – August 6-10, 2018
What would make life better for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers?
Quicker diagnosis? More respite care? Better training for healthcare professionals? Increased access to long-term care and home care?
If you support a loved one with Alzheimer’s, you should know that Rhode Island is currently updating their 5-Year Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, and they are looking for input from people like you.
As part of the updating process, the public is invited to attend one of 20 town hall meetings taking place from August 6-10, 2018, to give their thoughts on what should be included in the new state plan.
The plan serves as a “blueprint for how Rhode Island will continue to address the growing Alzheimer’s crisis. It creates the infrastructure and accountability necessary to build dementia-capable programs and services for the growing number of Rhode Islanders with the disease. ”
Town Hall meetings are taking place in the following cities:
- Warwick
- Hopkinton
- Foster
- Cranston
- Providence
- Burrilville
- Pawtucket
- Middletown
- Portsmouth
- Tiverton
- Bristol
- North Kingston
- West Greenwich
- Johnston
- Woonsocket
- Lincoln
- Westerly
The need for ongoing planning is pressing: there are currently 23,000 Rhode Islanders living with Alzheimer’s disease, and over 53,000 family and friends are providing care. The number of people living with the disease is projected to reach 27,000 by 2025.
The first state plan was adopted in 2013, and its updating is being managed by the Rhode Island chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Division of Elderly Affairs and the Office of the Lt. Governor, supported by funding from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the Rhode Island Foundation. The updated plan will be presented for adoption to the legislature in 2019.