GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE — SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST<\/a><\/p>\nThe economic impact is staggering as well. In 2025, Rhode Island Medicaid was projected to spend approximately $640 million caring for individuals living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Dementia is not only a healthcare issue \u2014 it is a major economic and public policy issue that affects every corner of our state.<\/p>\n
And yet, despite the growing need, Rhode Island remains one of only five states in the nation \u2014 and the only state in New England \u2014 that appropriates zero dollars in its state budget for dementia-specific programs and services.<\/p>\n
That must change.<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 2874 sponsored by Sen. Lou DiPalma and House Bill 7542 sponsored by Rep. Julie Casimiro offers Rhode Island a practical, cost-effective, and compassionate solution: establishing a permanent position within the Rhode Island Department of Health: a full-time Dementia Services Coordinator.<\/p>\n
This position would also improve coordination between agencies, reduce duplication of services, strengthen Rhode Island\u2019s ability to secure federal funding, and help individuals remain safely in their homes and communities for as long as possible. A Dementia Services Coordinator would provide much-needed leadership and coordination among state agencies, healthcare providers, community organizations, and caregivers. The position could help align services related to healthcare, housing, transportation, public safety, and other systems that support older adults, while ensuring that families have better access to resources, support, and quality care.<\/p>\n
Importantly, this legislation would help create a permanent structure for dementia initiatives at a time when much of Rhode Island\u2019s current work relies heavily on temporary federal grant funding.<\/p>\n
Over the past several years, Rhode Island has made meaningful progress. The General Assembly established the Advisory Council on Alzheimer\u2019s Disease (ADRD) and Related Dementias in 2019, leading to the development of the state\u2019s 2024\u20132029 ADRD State Plan. Through federal CDC funding, the Department of Health has expanded dementia education, strengthened outreach efforts, and improved partnerships with healthcare providers and community organizations.<\/p>\n
But progress without permanence is fragile.<\/p>\n
A Dementia Services Coordinator would ensure these efforts are sustained, strengthened, and expanded as the number of Rhode Islanders living with dementia continues to grow.<\/p>\n
Rhode Island would not be alone in taking this step. Thirty-three states \u2014 including neighboring Connecticut and Vermont \u2014 have already established similar positions. These states are seeing meaningful benefits, including earlier diagnoses, stronger caregiver support systems, and more effective community-based services.<\/p>\n
Alzheimer\u2019s disease does not discriminate by political party, geography, or income. Nearly every Rhode Island family will be touched by dementia in some way, either directly or through someone they love.<\/p>\n
Establishing a Dementia Services Coordinator is not a symbolic gesture. It is a modest but critical investment in building the infrastructure Rhode Island needs to confront one of the defining healthcare challenges of our time.<\/p>\n
If we truly want to support older adults, caregivers, and families, we must move beyond simply acknowledging the problem. We must build the systems necessary to address it.<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 2874 and House Bill 7542 is an opportunity for Rhode Island to do exactly that.<\/p>\n
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PHOTO: Tim Doerfler, Unsplash<\/p>\n