Our final speaker for the semester was Mr. Robert Egge, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy Alzheimer’s Association. Mr. Egge discussed policy and advocacy relating to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. He highlighted the recently passed National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease as an achievement in public policy, as the plan has a clear purpose, creates a robust advisory council, is backed by a strong political movement, and has been implemented by the Obama administration.

Next, we were joined by a panel of speakers from the state and local level: Dawn Fisk, Administrator, Health Facilities, Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals; Joel Olah, Executive Director, Aging Resources; Carol Sipfle, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Iowa Chapter; and Joel Wulf, Assistant Director, Iowa Department of Aging. The panel discussed major state issues, Iowa’s aging network, and the role of Area Agencies on Aging.