Washington State officials and partners told the Joint Legislative Executive Committee the Dementia Action Collaborative (DAC) continues to implement the Washington State Plan to Address Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia and is focusing on early detection, provider training and local supports.

Lynn Corte, Dementia Care Program and Policy Manager for the Home and Community Living Administration, said the DAC supports implementation of the state dementia plan and is co‑led by the administration’s assistant secretary and an Alzheimer’s Association representative. Corte said the DAC’s membership includes state agencies, academic partners and people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Why it matters: The DAC update stresses early detection and community‑based supports to reduce preventable hospitalizations and to give families time for legal, financial and advance‑care planning. Corte said the number of people with dementia in Washington “will have more than doubled between 2020 and 2040” and that dementia care costs are substantially higher than for people without dementia.

Supporting details: The DAC expanded Project ECHO dementia training at the University of Washington to mentor primary‑care providers statewide and operates three Area Agency on Aging pilots that employ “dementia resource catalysts” to expand local partnerships and services. Corte said preliminary survey results showed about 85% of family caregivers in the pilot reported services helped the person with dementia stay at home.

Discussion vs. next steps: Corte said legislation in 2022 refreshed the DAC roster and that the DAC intends to continue working after the committee’s planned sunset. The DAC is directing work to promote brain health across the lifespan, improve early diagnosis and broaden local access to dementia services through AAAs. Corte noted the DAC’s statutory authority will expire in February 2028 but that the administration and partners plan to continue implementation.

Ending note: Committee members acknowledged the DAC’s role in training, in issuing a “roadmap” for early‑onset cases and in producing widely distributed public materials; DSHS staff said they have distributed more than 100,000 copies of the roadmap statewide.