House Study Bill 712
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
HUMAN RESOURCES BILL
BY CHAIRPERSON SMITH)
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 5984HC 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 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 231.62 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE SERVICES
1 15 AND TRAINING.
1 16 1. The department shall regularly review trends and
1 17 initiatives to address the long=term living needs of Iowans to
1 18 determine how the needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease
1 19 and similar forms of irreversible dementia can be
1 20 appropriately met.
1 21 2. The department shall act within the funding available
1 22 to the department to expand and improve training and education
1 23 of persons who regularly deal with persons with Alzheimer's
1 24 disease and similar forms of irreversible dementia. Such
1 25 persons shall include but are not limited to law enforcement
1 26 personnel, long=term care resident's advocates, state
1 27 employees with responsibilities for oversight or monitoring of
1 28 agencies providing long=term care services, and workers and
1 29 managers in services providing direct care to such persons,
1 30 such as nursing facilities and other long=term care settings,
1 31 assisted living programs, elder group homes, residential care
1 32 facilities, adult day facilities, and home health care
1 33 services. The actions shall include but are not limited to
1 34 adopting rules.
1 35 3. The department shall adopt rules to implement all of
2 1 the following training and education provisions:
2 2 a. Standards for initial hours of training for direct care
2 3 staff, which shall require at least eight hours of classroom
2 4 instruction and eight hours of supervised interactive
2 5 experiences.
2 6 b. Standards for continuing and in=service education for
2 7 direct care staff, which shall require at least eight hours
2 8 annually.
2 9 c. Standards which provide for assessing the competency of
2 10 those who have received training.
2 11 d. A standard curriculum model for the training and
2 12 education. The curriculum model shall include but is not
2 13 limited to the diagnosis process; progression of the disease;
2 14 skills for communicating with persons with the disease, family
2 15 members and friends, and caregivers; daily life skills;
2 16 caregiver stress; the importance of building relationships and
2 17 understanding personal histories; expected challenging
2 18 behaviors; nonpharmacologic interventions; and medication
2 19 management.
2 20 e. A certification process which shall be implemented for
2 21 the trainers and educators who use the standard curriculum
2 22 model.
2 23 4. The department shall conduct a statewide campaign to
2 24 educate health care providers regarding tools and techniques
2 25 for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and similar forms
2 26 of irreversible dementia so that patients and their families
2 27 will better understand the progression of such disease.
2 28 5. Within the funding available, the department shall
2 29 provide funding for public awareness efforts and educational
2 30 efforts for agencies providing long=term care services, direct
2 31 care workers, caregivers, and state employees with
2 32 responsibilities for providing oversight or monitoring of
2 33 agencies providing long=term care services. The department
2 34 shall work with local Alzheimer's disease association chapters
2 35 and other stakeholders in providing the funding.
3 1 Sec. 3. IMPLEMENTATION. The department of elder affairs
3 2 shall implement on or before July 1, 2010, the initial
3 3 provisions for expanding and improving training and education
3 4 of those who regularly deal with persons with Alzheimer's
3 5 disease and similar forms of irreversible dementia and for
3 6 providing funding for public awareness efforts and educational
3 7 efforts in accordance with section 231.62, as enacted by this
3 8 Act.
3 9 EXPLANATION
3 10 This bill relates to Alzheimer's disease and similar forms
3 11 of irreversible dementia.
3 12 New Code section 135.154 requires the department of public
3 13 health to determine the existing service utilization and
3 14 future service needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease and
3 15 similar forms of irreversible dementia. The analysis is also
3 16 required to address the availability of existing caregiver
3 17 services for such needs and the appropriate service level for
3 18 the future. The department is required to modify its
3 19 community needs assessment activities to include questions to
3 20 identify and quantify the numbers of such persons.
3 21 New Code section 231.62 directs the department of elder
3 22 affairs to perform various actions regarding the needs of such
3 23 persons, including regularly reviewing trends and initiatives,
3 24 expanding and improving the training and education of those
3 25 who address the needs of such persons and caregivers, and
3 26 providing funding for building public awareness. The
3 27 department is directed to adopt rules concerning a list of
3 28 education and training requirements. An implementation
3 29 section requires the department to initially implement the
3 30 training and public awareness provisions on or before July 1,
3 31 2010.
3 32 LSB 5984HC 82
3 33 jp/nh/14