In 2015, the Utah State Legislature declared Alzheimer's a public health issue, directing the Utah Department of Health to coordinate and implement the state's response to this growing crisis.

The most recent data show:

• 38,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in Utah.
• 9.9% of people aged 45 and older have subjective cognitive decline.
• 112,000 family caregivers bear the burden of the disease in Utah.
• 132 million hours of unpaid care provided by Alzheimer's caregivers.
• $2.4 billion is the value of the unpaid care.
• $235 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 Utah: 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 Utah, the Department of Health undertook a concentrated effort to improve early detection of cognitive impairment. After surveying health care providers, the Department of Health conducted specific outreach to all primary care physicians, providing educational materials and a list of recommended cognitive assessment tools to improve health care providers' ability to recognize the early warning signs of dementia. Improving early detection and diagnosis of dementia is a recommended action in both the Utah State Plan for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias as well as the Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map.

Read the full case study for additional information.

The Utah Department of Health (UT DOH) is developing a comprehensive set of core competencies for health care professionals to ensure competent dementia care across the state. UT DOH will also develop training programs and direct the resulting certification process.

State plan overview

In March 2011, Utah legislature passed Senate Bill 48 establishing the Utah State Plan Task Force within the Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services. Tasked with assessing the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias within the state, the Task Force included representatives from state agencies, homecare providers, health plans and elder law, as well as state legislators, an individual living with the disease, caregivers and the lieutenant governor. After collecting public feedback, the Task Force published Utah's State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Action Plan for 2012-2017 in January 2012. In early 2018, Utah updated their plan, releasing Utah's State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, 2018 to 2022.

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.