New initiative aims to improve dementia care

The Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging is kicking off a new initiative today for dementia care. The Alliance to Improve Dementia Care is being co-launched by AARP, Biogen, the Alzheimer's Association, and the John A. Hartford Foundation. The alliance has four main goals, including improving the workforce of those currently caring for individuals with dementia, and promoting policies that specifically target groups — such as women and communities of color — that face disparities in care and are also at the highest risk for developing dementia. The number of people living with Alzheimer's and dementia is set to double to 13 million over the next 20 years, the institute projects, and costs associated with caring for these individuals are expected to reach $380 billion.