The Department of Health and Human Services is rewriting the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease to guide federal efforts through 2035, replacing the version that had been revised annually since it was first issued in 2012, according to HHS/ASPE's update approach document. ASPE's planning materials target a late-2026 release, with Advisory Council input and goal drafting still ahead. For family caregivers, this is a planning year, not a result year. The sections below lay out what has already happened, what is still open for comment, and what to watch for before the plan lands.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What's actually changed so far in 2026
- Why this matters for the people doing the caregiving
- A related federal strategy is also being updated
- A 2026 checklist for staying current
- What the listening sessions suggest about direction
- Frequently Asked Questions
What's actually changed so far in 2026
HHS published a Request for Information in the Federal Register on July 24, 2026, asking for public input on research, prevention, early detection, and care-and-support priorities, with comments due by August 15, 2026, per the Federal Register notice. That comment window has closed, but it shaped what the Advisory Council discussed afterward.
The NAPA Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services swore in a new slate of members at its February 9, 2026 meeting and began discussing the 2026-2035 rewrite, according to HHS/ASPE's February 2026 summary. At its April 27, 2026 meeting, the council heard federal agency updates and reviewed two caregiver-facing tools: the Navigating Aging Needs Navigator Tool and the "Respite for All" faith- and community-based caregiver respite model, per HHS/ASPE's 2026 meeting materials. An August 2026 ASPE report also summarizes listening sessions held earlier in the year with people living with Alzheimer's or dementia, family caregivers, providers, and state, Tribal, and local officials, all meant to directly inform the plan rewrite, according to the 2026 NAPA Listening Session Report.
Why this matters for the people doing the caregiving
The scale of unpaid dementia caregiving is why this rewrite draws attention. Nearly 13 million Americans provided unpaid dementia care in 2025, contributing more than 19 billion hours of care valued above $446 billion, and 59% of those caregivers reported high to very high emotional stress, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2026 Facts and Figures report.
A federal plan that sets research, early-detection, and care-and-support priorities for the next decade will shape funding and programs that touch this population directly. No final 2026-2035 plan text has been published as of this writing, so caregivers cannot yet point to new programs, eligibility rules, or funding commitments tied to the rewrite, per HHS/ASPE's Advisory Council meetings page. What exists now is the process: a completed comment period, council meetings, and a listening-session record that will feed the drafting.
A related federal strategy is also being updated
Separately from the National Plan, the Administration for Community Living is updating the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, a document required under the RAISE Family Caregivers Act. ACL plans to add a sixth goal addressing the shortage of direct-care workers, with release expected later in 2026, according to ACL's January 2026 RAISE/SGRG Joint Council meeting summary. These are two different documents on two different tracks: HHS/ASPE leads the Alzheimer's-specific National Plan, while ACL leads the broader family-caregiver strategy. Both are moving toward release in the same year, so caregivers following one should watch the other too, since direct-care workforce shortages affect dementia caregivers directly.
ACL also opened nominations for new members of the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council, after the prior members' terms ended in July 2026. Nominations were due by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 14, 2026, per ACL's Federal Register call for nominations. That window has now closed.
A 2026 checklist for staying current
Since no final plan exists yet, the practical task for caregivers this year is tracking the process rather than acting on a finished policy. A few concrete steps:.
- Check the NAPA Advisory Council meetings page periodically for new meeting dates and posted materials.
- Watch for the late-2026 target release of the new National Plan, noting that this is a target in planning materials, not a confirmed publication date.
- Watch separately for the ACL-led National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers update, which adds a sixth goal on the direct-care workforce.
- Note that the July 2026 RFI comment period and the October 14, 2026 Advisory Council nomination deadline have both closed; neither remains open for new input.
- Treat any claim about finalized goals, funding, or caregiver programs under the 2026-2035 plan as premature until ASPE publishes the plan text.
What the listening sessions suggest about direction
The listening sessions documented in ASPE's August 2026 report gathered input directly from people living with Alzheimer's or dementia, family caregivers, care providers, and state, Tribal, and local officials. That structure signals the rewrite is drawing on direct caregiver experience rather than only agency or researcher input, according to the 2026 NAPA Listening Session Report. The April 2026 council meeting's review of the Navigating Aging Needs Navigator Tool and the "Respite for All" caregiver respite model points toward practical, service-level tools as part of the discussion, rather than research priorities alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the new National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease been published yet?
No. As of this writing, HHS/ASPE's planning materials target a late-2026 release, with Advisory Council input and goal drafting still to come, per ASPE's update approach document.
Can I still submit public comments on the plan rewrite?
The Federal Register comment period closed on August 15, 2026, per the Federal Register notice.
Is the National Plan the same as the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers?
No. The National Plan is led by HHS/ASPE and covers Alzheimer's research and care broadly; the National Strategy is led by ACL under the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and focuses on family caregiver support, per ACL's January 2026 meeting summary.
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