House File 2543 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RESOURCES
(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 712)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of
2 irreversible dementia.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 5984HV 82
5 jp/nh/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.154 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
1 2 SERVICE NEEDS.
1 3 1. The department shall regularly analyze Iowa's
1 4 population by county and age to determine the existing service
1 5 utilization and future service needs of persons with
1 6 Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of irreversible
1 7 dementia. The analysis shall also address the availability of
1 8 existing caregiver services for such needs and the appropriate
1 9 service level for the future.
1 10 2. The department shall modify its community needs
1 11 assessment activities to include questions to identify and
1 12 quantify the numbers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and
1 13 similar forms of irreversible dementia at the community level.
1 14 3. The department shall collect data on the numbers of
1 15 persons demonstrating combative behavior related to
1 16 Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of irreversible
1 17 dementia. The department shall also collect data on the
1 18 number of physicians and geropsychiatric units available in
1 19 the state to provide treatment and services to such persons.
1 20 Health care facilities that serve such persons shall provide
1 21 information to the department for the purposes of the data
1 22 collection required by this subsection.
1 23 4. The department's implementation of the requirements of
1 24 this section shall be limited to the extent of the funding
1 25 appropriated or otherwise made available for the requirements.
1 26 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 231.62 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE SERVICES
1 27 AND TRAINING.
1 28 1. The department shall regularly review trends and
1 29 initiatives to address the long=term living needs of Iowans to
1 30 determine how the needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease
1 31 and similar forms of irreversible dementia can be
1 32 appropriately met.
1 33 2. The department shall act within the funding available
1 34 to the department to expand and improve training and education
1 35 of persons who regularly deal with persons with Alzheimer's
2 1 disease and similar forms of irreversible dementia. Such
2 2 persons shall include but are not limited to law enforcement
2 3 personnel, long=term care resident's advocates, state
2 4 employees with responsibilities for oversight or monitoring of
2 5 agencies providing long=term care services, and workers and
2 6 managers in services providing direct care to such persons,
2 7 such as nursing facilities and other long=term care settings,
2 8 assisted living programs, elder group homes, residential care
2 9 facilities, adult day facilities, and home health care
2 10 services. The actions shall include but are not limited to
2 11 adopting rules.
2 12 3. The department shall adopt rules in consultation with
2 13 the direct care worker task force established pursuant to 2005
2 14 Iowa Acts, chapter 88, and in coordination with the
2 15 recommendations made by the task force, to implement all of
2 16 the following training and education provisions:
2 17 a. Standards for initial hours of training for direct care
2 18 staff, which shall require at least eight hours of classroom
2 19 instruction and at least eight hours of supervised interactive
2 20 experiences.
2 21 b. Standards for continuing and in=service education for
2 22 direct care staff, which shall require at least eight hours
2 23 annually.
2 24 c. Standards which provide for assessing the competency of
2 25 those who have received training.
2 26 d. A standard curriculum model for the training and
2 27 education. The curriculum model shall include but is not
2 28 limited to the diagnosis process; progression of the disease;
2 29 skills for communicating with persons with the disease, family
2 30 members and friends, and caregivers; daily life skills;
2 31 caregiver stress; the importance of building relationships and
2 32 understanding personal histories; expected challenging
2 33 behaviors; nonpharmacologic interventions; and medication
2 34 management.
2 35 e. A certification process which shall be implemented for
3 1 the trainers and educators who use the standard curriculum
3 2 model.
3 3 4. The department shall conduct a statewide campaign to
3 4 educate health care providers regarding tools and techniques
3 5 for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and similar forms
3 6 of irreversible dementia so that patients and their families
3 7 will better understand the progression of such disease.
3 8 5. Within the funding available, the department shall
3 9 provide funding for public awareness efforts and educational
3 10 efforts for agencies providing long=term care services, direct
3 11 care workers, caregivers, and state employees with
3 12 responsibilities for providing oversight or monitoring of
3 13 agencies providing long=term care services. The department
3 14 shall work with local Alzheimer's disease association chapters
3 15 and other stakeholders in providing the funding.
3 16 Sec. 3. IMPLEMENTATION. The department of elder affairs
3 17 shall implement on or before July 1, 2010, the initial
3 18 provisions for expanding and improving training and education
3 19 of those who regularly deal with persons with Alzheimer's
3 20 disease and similar forms of irreversible dementia and for
3 21 providing funding for public awareness efforts and educational
3 22 efforts in accordance with section 231.62, as enacted by this
3 23 Act.
3 24 EXPLANATION
3 25 This bill relates to Alzheimer's disease and similar forms
3 26 of irreversible dementia.
3 27 New Code section 135.154 requires the department of public
3 28 health to determine the existing service utilization and
3 29 future service needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease and
3 30 similar forms of irreversible dementia. The analysis is also
3 31 required to address the availability of existing caregiver
3 32 services for such needs and the appropriate service level for
3 33 the future. The department is required to modify its
3 34 community needs assessment activities to include questions to
3 35 identify and quantify the numbers of such persons. The
4 1 department is also required to collect data regarding the
4 2 numbers of such persons exhibiting combative behavior and the
4 3 numbers of treatment providers. Health care facilities are
4 4 required to provide information for the data collection. The
4 5 department's implementation is limited to the extent of the
4 6 funding available.
4 7 New Code section 231.62 directs the department of elder
4 8 affairs to perform various actions regarding the needs of such
4 9 persons, including regularly reviewing trends and initiatives,
4 10 expanding and improving the training and education of those
4 11 who address the needs of such persons and caregivers, and
4 12 providing funding for building public awareness. The
4 13 department is directed to adopt rules concerning a list of
4 14 education and training requirements. The department is
4 15 required to consult with the direct care worker task force
4 16 created in 2005 Iowa Acts in adopting the rules and in
4 17 coordination with the task force's recommendations. An
4 18 implementation section requires the department to initially
4 19 implement the training and public awareness provisions on or
4 20 before July 1, 2010.
4 21 LSB 5984HV 82
4 22 jp/nh/14