Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis in Iowa. The impact of Alzheimer’s is projected to rise, and the most recent data show:

• 62,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in Iowa.
• 9.9% of people aged 45 and older have subjective cognitive decline.
• 98,000 family caregivers bear the burden of the disease in Iowa.
• 125 million hours of unpaid care provided by Alzheimer’s caregivers.
• $2.2 billion is the value of the unpaid care.
• $792 million is the cost of Alzheimer’s to the state Medicaid program.

These numbers show that a public health approach is necessary to lessen the burden and enhance the quality of life for those living with cognitive impairment and their families.

Learn more about Iowa: Alzheimer’s Statistics (PDF), Cognitive Decline (PDF), Dementia Caregiving (PDF), Risk Factors (PDF), County-Level Alzheimer's Prevalence (PDF)

Tribes in your state

Use the HBI Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples to start conversations with tribal leaders on public health actions that can be taken to support brain health and caregivers. Find tribal leaders and federally recognized tribes in your state: Tribal Leaders Directory.

Public health spotlight

In Iowa, the Department of Public Health launched the Save Your Brain health education campaign focused on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and improving overall brain health.

Learn more about the Save Your Brain campaign.

In September 2020, the Iowa Department of Public Health received a Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Program Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

State plan overview

In 2007, the Iowa Legislature established a task force through the enactment of Senate File 489 to assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease on residents, examine the existing resources available, and develop a strategy to mobilize a state response to the growing threat of Alzheimer’s disease. The task force included representatives from the long-term care industry, community organizations and state agencies as well as state legislators, caregivers, and individuals directly impacted by Alzheimer’s. After collecting testimony from advocacy groups and individuals to inform the plan’s recommendations, the task force published the Final Report: Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force in January 2008.

Resources for action

State and local public health agencies around the country are taking action against Alzheimer’s by implementing the Healthy Brain Initiative: State and Local Road Map for Public Health, 2023–2027. Public health practitioners can learn by example and find resources to help guide their response below.