The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: 2024 Update, which serves as a roadmap of strategies to:
- Prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD)
- Enhance care quality and efficiency
- Expand supports for people with ADRD and their families
- Enhance public awareness and engagement
- Improve data to track progress
- Promote healthy aging and reduce risk factors for ADRD
The first plan was created in 2012 and is updated annually by the members of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services (Advisory Council), which is comprised of both non-federal and federal members.
The 2024 plan update prioritizes supports for people with ADRD and their families and caregivers, who need supports that go beyond the care provided in formal settings such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, or nursing homes. The majority of people with ADRD live in the community, where their families provide most of their care. Supporting people with ADRD and their families and caregivers requires giving them the tools that they need, helping to plan for future needs, and helping to ensure that safety and dignity are maintained.
ACL’s Administration on Aging has played a role in the Advisory Council since its inception and continues to participate in the development and updating of this report. ACL supports the implementation of the National Plan through its Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative, which includes funding for state, community, and tribal grants; the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC); the National Alzheimer’s Call Center; the Center for Dementia Respite Innovation; and, starting in 2025, the Developing Dementia-Capable Community Health Worker programs in the national aging network.
The ACL-funded NADRC provides expert technical assistance to ACL and its grantees. More than 300 free tools and resources are available on the NADRC webpage, including manuals for program implementation and recordings of their annual webinar series.
You can learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) and subscribe to the NAPA mailing list by visiting the NAPA webpage.
See HHS’s announcement of the plan below.
HHS is excited to announce the release of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: 2024 Update, highlighting another historic year of progress on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia research, care, and services. The National Plan serves as a roadmap of strategies and actions for how HHS and its partners can accelerate innovative research and expansion of treatments, improve care, support people living with dementia and their caregivers, and promote dementia risk reduction strategies.
The 2024 National Plan updates includes a description of the accomplishments and activities undertaken from fall 2023 through mid-2024, including new and ongoing action steps towards each of the Plan’s six main goals. Notable highlights include the FDA’s approval of Kisunla (donanemab-azbt) to treat Alzheimer’s disease, NIH-funded behavioral and lifestyle interventions (e.g., blood pressure control, correcting hearing loss with hearing aids, daily, broad-spectrum multi-vitamin use, and personalized health coaching) that offer promise in reducing dementia risk and improving cognition and memory, and the development of new diagnostic tests for dementia.