Hundreds of advocates in purple turned the Ohio Statehouse into a sea of color on Tuesday, pressing lawmakers for stronger tools to catch Alzheimer's earlier and care for it better. They pushed for wider access to new blood tests, mandatory dementia training for frontline caregivers, and funding for a statewide awareness campaign. In the Statehouse atrium, family members, paid caregivers and health professionals shared stark personal stories that organizers said showed why policy changes feel urgent, not optional.
At the center of the push was House Bill 8, which would require health plans and Medicaid to cover biomarker testing, a blood test advocates call a breakthrough for early warning. According to NBC4, speakers described the test as a simple way to establish a baseline for Alzheimer's risk. The bill has already drawn multiple hearings in the House Health Committee, and supporters say it is positioned for consideration by the full Ohio House. The official Ohio House page lists the bill’s committee testimony and hearing history.
What advocates are asking lawmakers to pass
Beyond HB 8, advocates asked lawmakers to back House Bill 474, the Ohio Dementia Care Training Act, which would require dementia-specific training for nurse aides and build that instruction into competency and annual in-service requirements, according to the Ohio Legislature. The policy platform also calls for a statewide public-awareness campaign, pushed as House Bill 254 on the Alzheimer's Association Ohio policy page. Supporters say these measures together would improve early detection, raise care standards in assisted living memory units and better support the paid and unpaid workforce that looks after people living with dementia.
Why testing and training matter
Advocates cite research showing Alzheimer-related proteins can build up a decade or more before symptoms show, which makes early detection potentially game-changing for planning and treatment. The Alzheimer's Association reports that "one in three older Americans dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia" and that Alzheimer's kills more people annually than breast and prostate cancer combined. Supporters argue that routine access to biomarker testing and stronger frontline training would give families earlier answers and could widen access to emerging treatments. More detail is available on the Alzheimer's Association facts and figures page.
What's next at the Statehouse
Advocates say they plan to keep meeting with lawmakers as HB 8 and the related bills move through the legislative calendar, while health committees continue to hear testimony from hospitals, physicians and patient groups. The Ohio House committee page shows multiple hearings and submitted testimony for HB 8 as the bill works its way toward possible floor action. Lawmakers must now weigh clinical guidance, insurer concerns and budget implications as they decide whether to require coverage and training statewide.
Voices at the rally
"A biomarker blood test can give people a baseline understanding of signs or indications of Alzheimer's and dementia," Trey Addison, the Alzheimer's Association state affairs contact, told NBC4. Lindsay Walker, director of the Alzheimer's Association in Ohio, urged lawmakers to support "equality of access" to new drugs and the blood test so families are not left behind. Caregivers and relatives who spoke at the event told reporters the push for earlier answers and better-trained aides is as much about dignity as it is about treatment.
Whether the measures become law will depend on how lawmakers balance costs, clinical guidance and coverage rules, but advocates said the show of purple at the Statehouse drove home how urgent the issue feels for families across Ohio. Local resources and support, including a 24/7 helpline and chapter services, are listed on the Alzheimer's Association Central Ohio page for people seeking information and care assistance.
