OPINION: New Mexico needs dementia care specialists

New Mexico is facing one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time: a rapidly growing population of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. We are one of the most rural states in the nation, home to 24 sovereign tribal nations and pueblos, and thousands of families already struggling to navigate dementia with limited support.

Every week, we hear the same concerns from caregivers, county officials, tribal health leaders and hospitals: People with dementia are falling through the cracks. Families do not know where to turn. Caregivers are overwhelmed. Without early intervention, dementia often leads to preventable crises — emergency room visits, repeated hospitalizations and premature placement in long-term care. These crises take a heavy emotional and financial toll on families, and they strain New Mexico’s health care and public health systems.

There is a solution that has worked in other states: dementia care specialists (DCS).

States like Wisconsin, South Carolina, Indiana and Louisiana have established DCS programs to help families navigate the dementia journey. These specialists provide cognitive assessments, connect people to diagnostic evaluation, train caregivers and build dementia-capable capacity in rural and urban underserved communities. The model has been proven to reduce crises and keep people safely in their homes longer.

But New Mexico must adapt the model to fit our unique landscape.

That is why the Alzheimer’s Association is proposing to establish dementia care specialists to work directly in local communities — the access points families actually use. In rural and Native communities, families turn to public health offices, tribal clinics, the Indian Health Service and 638 programs. Housing DCS staff locally, where trust and cultural alignment already exist, ensures families receive support earlier and more effectively.

Our proposal for the 2026 legislative session includes a request for $1 million in recurring FY2027 funding to launch six dementia care specialists and one dementia service coordinator supervisor in three or four regions across the state. This is a modest investment compared to the high costs of unmanaged dementia in hospitals, long-term care and emergency services.

We welcome the possibility of launching this program through executive action, but long-term sustainability will require legislation. Dementia does not change with administrations; our response should not either.

New Mexico has an opportunity to lead with compassion, cultural respect and common sense. Dementia care specialists will help families across the state access the support they deserve — before a crisis hits.

Now is the time to act.

Chris Leroi is the  public policy director of the Alzheimer’s Association — New Mexico Chapter.