Nebraska State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview 

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In May 2015, Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB320, calling for the creation of a State Plan on Alzheimers disease. The legislation requires the Aging Nebraskans Task Force to assess existing resources in the state, provide recommendations to meet the growing needs of those impacted by Alzheimers, and develop strategies to identify gaps in community services. The Task Force included representatives from state agencies, long-term care organizations, elder law, and community organizations as well as economists, seniors, caregivers, and aging advocates. The Nebraska State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias was published in June 2016. A State Plan Infographic is also available.

Nebraska 2024 Policy Priorities

Care Planning
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Update Statutes Governing the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council 

Following tremendous advocacy, Nebraska lawmakers in 2022 passed Legislative Bill 752, creating the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council. The Council was established to review the Nebraska State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia and make recommendations on how the state can improve its response to the disease. The Council, however, did not convene in time to compile its findings and recommendations by the start of 2024. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to support legislation that will adjust the statutory timeline accordingly and stagger the terms of the Advisory Council members.

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Require the Direct Care Staff Training Curriculum to Include Dementia

A cornerstone of providing quality dementia care is dementia-specific training for professional care staff. Direct care staff at Alzheimer’s special care units are required to receive four hours of annual training, though the statutes do not define the curriculum topics. To ensure direct care workers are providing quality dementia care, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to require the training curriculum for direct care staff to include information on providing person-centered dementia care based on thorough knowledge of the care recipient and their needs, care planning, activities of daily living, and dementia-related behaviors.

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Empower Long Term Care Ombudsman Staff with Dementia Training 

Individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia often utilize long-term care services. The Nebraska Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) works with nursing home and assisted living residents to answer resident concerns and complaints. To ensure Ombudsman staff can effectively support people living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the LTCO to provide dementia training to Ombudsman office staff and staff of local LTCO programs.

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Incorporate Dementia Into Existing Public Health Campaigns

Nebraska is home to 35,100 people living with Alzheimer’s and 40,000 unpaid caregivers. By 2025, the number of Nebraskans living with Alzheimer’s is estimated to increase by 14.3%. As the dementia population grows, Nebraskans need information on obtaining a timely and accurate diagnosis, the early signs of dementia, care planning, and treatment options. The Alzheimer’s Association, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council, Tobacco Free Nebraska, and the Minority Health Initiative, is urging state agencies to incorporate information on dementia and brain health into existing public health campaigns.

Find My Chapter

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: Nick Faustman

Phone: 402.260.7907

Email: [email protected]

35,100

people living with Alzheimer’s in Nebraska

40,000

Nebraskans are providing unpaid care

$372 Million

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)

687

deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2021

18%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

265.2%

increase of geriatricians in Nebraska needed to meet the demand in 2050