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At Alzheimer’s Community Care (ACC), we are committed to advocating for Florida’s Alzheimer’s patients, patients with other dementia-related disorders, and their caregivers. Our advocacy drives meaningful legislative change, raises awareness, and ensures families receive the support they need.

Legislative Successes

ACC has been instrumental in passing legislation that improves the lives of Floridians with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Below are some of our key achievements:

• Florida’s Specialized Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care Act (Statute 429.918): Championed by ACC, this unique legislation established standards for licensure as a Specialized Adult Day Services provider. It ensures high-quality, dementia-specific care in day centers, benefiting thousands of patients and caregivers. 
• Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI): Established in 1985, the ADI provides critical services like respite care, caregiver training, and counseling. ACC’s advocacy has helped sustain and expand funding, with over $80 million invested in 2024 to support 17 Memory Disorder Clinics and service providers statewide.
• Silver Alert Program: ACC has supported the expansion of Florida’s Silver Alert program, which has issued over 3,000 alerts for lost drivers with Alzheimer’s. Our Wandering Mitigation and Rescue Project complements this initiative by providing electronic locator services to prevent and resolve wandering incidents.
• 2024 Alzheimer’s Funding: ACC’s advocacy contributed to record-breaking funding of over $80 million in 2024, supporting dementia care, research, and the Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence (FACE). This funding has led to an 86% reduction in falls and an 81% reduction in hospitalizations for FACE participants, saving over $23 billion in healthcare costs.

Annual Advocacy Day Trip to Tallahassee

ACC organizes an Advocacy Day Trip to Tallahassee to meet with lawmakers, share stories, and advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. This event, held annually during committee weeks held prior to session, is a cornerstone of our efforts to educate legislators and secure funding for critical programs.

• Purpose: Build relationships with legislators, highlight the Alzheimer’s crisis, and push for funding and policy changes.
• Activities: Meetings with state representatives and senators, press conferences (e.g., Silver Alert events), and networking with advocacy partners like the Alzheimer’s Association. 
• Impact: Past trips led to increased funding for the ADI and ACC’s Critical Support Initiative, support for the Silver Alert program, and the establishment of the Florida’s Specialized Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care Act. 
• Hotel rooms, meals, transportation, and more are provided to caregivers and advocates who join our annual trip. 
• Join us: We welcome caregivers, volunteers, and community members to join us in Tallahassee. Contact advocacy@alzcare.org to learn how you can participate!