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Alzheimer—s Association urges $824,000 to sustain dementia care specialists in HB 1
Summary
The Alzheimer's Association asked legislators to continue an $824,000 investment in dementia care specialists, saying the program helps caregivers navigate services, reduces isolation and may lower Medicaid costs by keeping people with dementia at home.
Tatiana Gonzalez Quiroga, government relations director for the Alzheimer's Association Louisiana chapter, urged the House Appropriations Committee to include $824,000 in House Bill 1 to continue funding the dementia care specialist program established in the previous fiscal year.
She told the committee Louisiana currently has about 95,000 residents 65 and older living with Alzheimer's and roughly 256,000 unpaid family caregivers; she said dementia care specialists connect families to local resources, provide caregiver education and train aging-network staff to be "dementia capable." Gonzalez Quiroga argued the program helps families avoid more restrictive — and costlier — placements and could reduce pressure on Medicaid long-term care spending.
Representative LaFleur and others asked for clarification on the population served and program activities; Gonzalez Quiroga restated that the specialists conduct outreach, link families to services, and support aging and disability resource centers to keep people safe at home. No formal vote was taken during the testimony; legislators signaled general support and requested any available outcome or cost breakdowns.
