LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Seven million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s or other dementia, with more than 11 million people stepping up to provide care for them.
In Arkansas, there’s been a push to support caregivers, whether it’s financially or emotionally.
Arkansas’s Alzheimer’s Dementia Respite Grant Program was created in 2022 and funded by the Department of Human Services. The program is funded by $200,000, but advocates are pushing lawmakers for more.
At the state capitol, advocates will join alongside the Arkansas chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to urge legislators to make respite care a priority to provide short-term relief for primary caregivers.
"The current funding levels aren’t feasible for us to expand our reach," said David Cook, Director of Public Policy with the Alzheimer’s Association. “Funding amounts expire in March, so eight months into the fiscal year. With only the $200,000, we're not able to reach the counties that have a higher prevalence of risk and are underserved by the services.”
Cook added that the Alzheimer's Association hopes to push legislators up to $300,000— specifically for respite grants for dementia caregivers, as the funding has proved life-changing.
"We have one caregiver who's cared for her husband for more than 10 years,” Cook said. “She shared with us in tears that for the very first time, she was able to attend a girl’s trip because she could access this respite funding."
The association's respite grant program is specific for people caring for someone with a dementia diagnosis.
Currently, they serve 400 families with the $200,000. However, data shows that number doesn't even scrape the bottom of the barrel, leading Cook to believe more funding is the right option.
“In Arkansas alone, we have over 155,000 caregivers, who provided an estimated 270 million hours of unpaid care,” Cook explained.
These millions of hours of care from thousands of people typically come from someone directly impacted by the diagnosis, amid having their own needs.
"One in three of our caregivers are providing care for a family member who may have dementia, maybe an aging parent, but they also are providing care for children living at home,” Cook said.
Placing a price tag on their care would value it at $4.5 billion in cost savings for the state of Arkansas.
Cook said while they’re only asking for $100,000 more in funding, Arkansas’s neighboring states see a significant amount more in funding.
According to Cook. Tennessee’s funding levels are $1.5 million, Mississippi is at $350,000 and Kansas is funded at $850,000.
Cooks said they want their advocates to help them advance that conversation at the state level, as they focus on the 2025 legislative session.
“We hope to advance legislation that would move this program out of its pilot stage to make it a more permanent program in the state,” Cook added.
The end goal is to provide caregivers and their families with more options.
If you’d like to join the Arkansas Chapter at the Capitol, for their ‘Alzheimer’s and Dementia Awareness Day’, registration begins at 11 a.m. on April 23.