Montana State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview
In June 2014, the Montana Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia Work Group was established as a grassroots collaboration with grant funding provided by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): Improving the Lives of Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Caregivers: A Patient-Centered Statewide Approach. The Work Group’s membership includes private sector stakeholders and state officials representing the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, who convene regularly to improve care and support for Montanans living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, their families, and caregivers. In December 2016 the Work Group published Montana’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia State Plan: Addressing the Current and Future Needs of Individuals and Families with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
Montana 2026 Policy Priorities
Requiring Dementia-Specific Training for Guardians
Dementia can significantly affect a person’s ability to make decisions, and in the absence of other advanced directives, people living with dementia may need the assistance of a guardian or conservator. To ensure that the rights, values, and preferences of people living with dementia are upheld under guardianship or conservatorship, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to update guardianship statutes to require those who are serving people living with dementia to receive dementia-specific training upon initial appointment and follow-up training every three years. It is imperative that guardians receive training on the progression of the disease, difficult behaviors and effective communication strategies for communicating with a person living with dementia.
Establish a Dementia Services Coordinator Position
Montana is home to 21,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s and 17,000 unpaid caregivers. As the population with dementia grows, coordination between state agencies that administer programs for people living with dementia and their caregivers is crucial. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Department of Public Health and Human Services to hire a full-time Dementia Services Coordinator. This state government position will coordinate Montana’s response to dementia by assessing the implementation of the Alzheimer’s State plan, identifying gaps in existing services and programs, and recommending strategies and policies to better serve Montanans living with dementia and their caregivers.
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Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.
Contact Us
State Affairs Contact: Patrick Kelley
Phone: 406.312.8069
Email: pakelley@alz.org
21,000
people living with Alzheimer’s in Montana
17,000
Montanans are providing unpaid care
$220 Million
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2025)
338
deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2022
11%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
186.7%
increase of geriatricians in Montana needed to meet the demand in 2050
Resources to Drive Change in Montana
The following resources developed by AIM and the Alzheimer’s Association will help you learn more about the issues impacting people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, how Montana policymakers are addressing these gaps, and how you can help drive change.