ACL Announces New Grants Supporting Dementia Capability in Indian Country

ACL is pleased to announce the 2025 awards for its Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative (ADPI) - Dementia Capability in Indian Country initiative. In September, ACL awarded two three-year cooperative agreements to deliver a range of culturally competent education and training services that will collectively increase dementia capability in the Native communities they serve. Awards totaling $581,540 went to:

• Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Wisconsin
• Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board, South Dakota

ACL's ADPI Dementia Capability in Indian Country initiative provides funding and technical assistance to help Native communities strengthen their ability to support individuals living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers. Currently, 72% of American Indian and Alaska Native adults are at risk for dementia due to high rates of risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity. As these populations are living longer, the incidence of ADRD continues to rise.

Through these three-year grants, communities will develop and deliver culturally competent services tailored to the unique needs of elders living with or at high risk of developing dementia and their caregivers. These efforts aim to increase awareness of dementia and its associated risk factors, provide brain health education, and offer training in behavioral symptom management to better support caregivers.

Learn more about ADPI and related ACL initiatives.