This post is timed to June being Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month.
Minnesota’s rapidly aging population has made Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias a pressing priority for the state. More than 120,000 Minnesotans are living with Alzheimer’s, a 20% increase from 2020. Caring for residents with dementia also carries a heavy economic burden, costing Minnesota’s Medicaid program roughly $1 billion annually.
To address this, the state has woven dementia-focused goals and initiatives throughout its new Multisector Plan on Aging (MPA), Minnesota’s Multisector Blueprint for Aging. This comprehensive approach, which includes caregiving, community education and awareness, as well as cross-sector collaboration, offers a blueprint from which other states and leaders in aging can learn. Minnesota is a prime example of how to integrate dementia into aging policy, offering a model other states can use to better support older adults, caregivers and communities.
At the Heart of Care: How Minnesota Supports Caregivers
Minnesota’s Multisector Blueprint for Aging recognizes that family, friends and neighbors provide a significant portion of dementia care, and it prioritizes supporting these caregivers. An estimated 163,000 Minnesotans are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, delivering 225 million hours of unpaid care valued at $5.25 billion per year. The state is working to improve caregiver and dementia data collection and alignment with Minnesota Department of Health initiatives. Such data collection efforts allow policymakers to identify unmet needs in the community and implement strategies to address them. At the same time, Minnesota is promoting a cultural shift in how caregiving is understood and valued, building awareness around inclusive language and the importance of unpaid caregivers. Proactive outreach is being expanded to meet care partners where they are, at home, in the community, or in the workplace.
Raising Awareness, Reducing Stigma: Brain Health for All
The Multisector Blueprint for Aging calls for a statewide effort to promote brain health and early detection of cognitive decline. Improving education about and reducing stigma around dementia is crucial as it encourages early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive conditions. It outlines ways to create equitable opportunities for brain health, including awareness campaigns for dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders. Additionally, it highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention through programs like Dementia Friends Minnesota, which helps facilitate more dementia-friendly communities. Due to the ACT on Alzheimer’s initiative, nearly 24,000 Minnesotans were trained as Dementia Friends and at least 22 communities earned official dementia-friendly status, laying the groundwork for more inclusive environments in everyday life. The Blueprint also highlights how to expand culturally appropriate educational materials on dementia, which is especially important given the higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease among communities of color.
All Hands on Deck: Cross-Sector Partnerships Driving Dementia Solutions
Underpinning Minnesota’s success is strong cross-sector leadership that integrates aging and dementia efforts statewide. Minnesota’s Multisector Blueprint for Aging recognizes that older adults, especially those with dementia, face significant risks during emergencies. This includes educating emergency responders on the needs of people with cognitive impairment. For example, a toolbox or form posted in the home can help emergency responders quickly understand who lives there and whether someone has dementia, allowing them to respond more appropriately. Additionally, establishing metrics for the Minnesota Dementia Strategic Plan and aligning caregiving and dementia data collection with Minnesota Department of Health initiatives exemplify cross-sector collaboration. By coordinating efforts between public health agencies, aging services, and community organizations through the Minnesota Healthy Brain Partnership, Minnesota ensures that data is not only collected consistently but also used strategically across systems.
Broader Dementia Work in Minnesota
In addition to the Multisector Blueprint for Aging, Minnesota has created a dementia-friendly environment that supports the implementation of innovative, community-driven solutions. The state has long recognized the need for coordinated action, beginning with the Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group (2017-2019), which revisited and updated the foundational 2011 report Preparing Minnesota for Alzheimer’s.
The working group provided a framework for understanding the budgetary, social, and personal impacts of dementia and offered targeted recommendations to improve care and support. Building on that foundation, the Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) administers a Dementia Grant program launched in 2015, which funds creative projects that strengthen support for people living with dementia, their caregivers, and their communities. The MBA’s 2024-2027 State Plan on Aging further demonstrates the state’s commitment by highlighting federal initiatives like the Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention and Intervention grant. Together, these programs reflect Minnesota’s strong foundation for supporting and piloting innovative approaches, allowing the state to lead in advancing practical, person-centered solutions for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
A Blueprint for Action: What Other States Can Learn from Minnesota
Minnesota’s Multisector Blueprint for Aging demonstrates that weaving dementia into aging policy is essential, feasible and beneficial. The state’s comprehensive strategy includes supporting family caregivers, fostering dementia-friendly communities, investing in workforce training, and collaborating across sectors; providing a roadmap for tackling the dementia challenge as part of healthy aging for all.
Elements of Minnesota’s model, such as community education, cross-sector collaboration, and data collection, can inspire and inform other states as they develop their own multisector plans for aging. By following Minnesota’s example in addressing dementia as a shared priority across health, social and community domains, policymakers can better ensure that older adults and families affected by dementia are included in planning for a future that supports healthy aging.
Amy Herr, MHS, PMP, is director of Health Policy, and Niamh Brennan, MPH, is a research associate for the nonprofit, nonpartisan West Health Policy Center.
Photo credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
