2026 Policy Priorities and Solutions - Flipbook - Page 21
Brain Health and Dementia Care
With a rapidly aging population, the US faces rising dementia prevalence, escalating care costs, and mounting
impacts on the quality of life for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Through the Alliance
to Improve Dementia Care, we promote policies and practices that foster a life-course perspective on brain
health, address the fragmented and costly dementia care ecosystem through expanded care navigation, reduce
health and economic disparities, build workforce and systems capacity, improve early detection, and scale
comprehensive dementia-care and value-based payment models.
Healthspan Promotion
We aim to extend the years individuals can live in good health by fostering ecosystems that reduce chronic
disease risk, support well-being, and enable meaningful social engagement and purpose. By focusing on
the multitude of factors that contribute to our health, including physical activity, nutrient-dense diets, and
restorative sleep, as well as intergenerational connections and the built environment, we can ensure all people
can benefit from longer, healthier lifespans.
Integrated Care Solutions
The Institute champions innovations and policies that accelerate tech-enabled convergence of health, supportive
services, and social care, empowering people to age well in the places they call home. Historically, siloed
sectors spanning health care, senior housing, home care, and related industries are beginning to develop shared
approaches that address the physical, environmental, and social dimensions of health by leveraging technologies
and value-based care partnerships. To meet the needs of our growing older adult population and continue
forward momentum, we promote policies that advance effective models, strengthen the use of technology and
data, and support sustained investment in the infrastructure necessary for integrated care.
Financial Longevity Preparedness
Socioeconomic and systemic factors determine access to affordable, quality medical care for healthy longevity
and influence the ability to achieve financial security to age with dignity. We support public- and private-sector
policies and solutions that promote life-course planning to achieve financial readiness across longer lifespans by
strengthening the role of employers in providing access to and optimizing health and retirement-related benefits,
ensuring the sustainability, modernization, and accessibility of essential social safety-net programs, mitigating
the financial impact of family caregiving, encouraging savings and emergency buffers, and ensuring older adults
can remain productively engaged in the workplace.
MILKEN INSTITUTE
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