Join the cause Act now Events What is an advocate? Colorado advocacy Federal advocacy

Join the cause

The Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter invites you to become an Alzheimer advocate. Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

Add your voice to ours — become an advocate today.

Upcoming events

Public Policy Forum

When: March 23-25, 2009
Where: Washington, D.C., Omni Shoreham Hotel

With a new Congress and president, and competing national priorities demanding attention, it is more important than ever that you attend the Public Policy Forum. We know that as a caregiver, as a person with the disease and as an advocate, no one tells your story better than you.

So come to Washington and raise awareness of the disease, and tell our elected officials directly why they must make Alzheimer’s a national priority.

What is an advocate?

Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.

Become an Advocate

As an advocate, you will:

• Receive regular updates about current legislative and public policy issues.
• Stay on top of policy and legislative issues through alerts and updates.
• Make calls or write to legislators to forward public policy priorities to improve quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s.

Colorado advocacy

Colorado Public Policy Platform

In the coming year, the Alzheimer’s Association will focused its public policy platform on three areas: 1) Developing our State Plan for Alzheimer’s, 2) Increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate for assisted living facilities in Colorado and, 3) Educating our advocates and the general public about the power of their voices and how to use them on our behalf.

Senate Bill 58, also known as the “Colorado Alzheimer’s Coordinating Council Act” is now a reality, and the next stage of implementation of Colorado’s Alzheimer’s disease State Plan is at hand. 

1. We will work to provide input and support to the Colorado State Government and to the community with respect to selection of members of the Colorado Alzheimer’s Coordinating Council, and once selected, we will provide input and support to the Council itself, especially to the member of the Council representing our Chapter.
2. We will work to ensure that members of our Chapter participate in any public hearings conducted by the Council to ensure that our views are heard. Our input will be focused on ensuring that the Council supports our goals of increasing the availability of dementia capable services to Colorado residents, supporting Alzheimer’s research by Colorado institutions of higher education, increasing the availability of non-institutional residence options for Colorado Alzheimer’s victims and promoting Alzheimer’s disease data collection and analysis.
3. Finally, we will work towards implementation of the recommendations of the Council by providing public support and testimony addressed to the Governor and the Colorado General Assembly.
4. We will work towards an increase in the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Assisted Living Facilities in Colorado. Currently, that rate is below cost for most Colorado Assisted Living Facilities, which results in a limited number of available placements for persons with dementia whose best placement may frequently be in an Assisted Living facility. We will work with other organizations to ask the Colorado legislature and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to enact an increase in the rate.
5. We will hold a series of Community Meetings around Colorado to educate new advocates and the public about the State Plan process and provide a vehicle for their input.

Colorado Coordinating Council

In 2008, Governor Ritter signed Bill 54 into law creating an Alzheimer’s Coordinating Council whose task is the creation of a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association will have representation on the Council and is providing input to state government regarding the selection of members of the Council. We will notify the community of public hearings that may occur in order to gather information and input to ensure the views of those impacted by this devastating disease are heard. Our input will focus on ensuring that the Council supports our goals of increasing the availability of dementia-capable services to Colorado residents, supporting Alzheimer’s research by Colorado institutions of higher learning, increasing the availability of home and community-based services for people in Colorado living with Alzheimer’s, and providing Alzheimer’s disease data collection and analysis. The state planning process is underway in just a few other states and we’re thrilled that Colorado is taking a leadership position by providing guidance on this issue as the number of people with Alzheimer’s is due to reach epidemic proportions in the next few years.

In addition to our state plan, our efforts in the public policy arena extend to working towards an increase in the Medicaid reimbursements rate for assisted living facilities in Colorado. Currently, that rate is not adequate for most facilities which results in virtually eliminating the assisted living option for people with dementia. We will work with other organizations to ask the Colorado legislature and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance to enact an increase in the rate.

Federal advocacy

•  Federal update
•  National priorities