In March 2011, Utah’s state 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 other dementia 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 drafted Utah’s State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Action Plan for 2012-2017, which was published 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. In 2023, the Utah Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Coordinating Council released a new state plan with five priorities dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with dementia, caregivers, and health care professionals.

Equip First Responders with Dementia Training 

First responders frequently encounter people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia when responding to emergencies and are often the first to observe instances of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Without proper training on de-escalation tactics, recognizing the signs of dementia and effectively communicating with individuals living with dementia, situations may escalate quickly with potentially dangerous consequences. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training Rules Sub Committee to mandate peace officers to receive 1.5 hours of competency-based dementia training to ensure officers can safely respond to dementia-related behaviors and emergencies involving individuals living with dementia.