Bill Text: FL S0586 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Alzheimer's Disease
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S0586 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S0586-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2011 SB 586 By Senator Wise 5-00562-11 2011586__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to Alzheimer’s disease; creating s. 3 430.5025, F.S.; directing the Department of Elderly 4 Affairs to develop and implement a public education 5 program relating to screening for Alzheimer’s disease; 6 providing criteria for awarding grants; providing a 7 definition; requiring grant recipients to submit an 8 evaluation of certain activities to the department; 9 authorizing the department to provide technical 10 support; requiring an annual report to the 11 Legislature; providing for implementation of the 12 public education program to operate within existing 13 resources of the department; providing that 14 implementation of the memory-impairment screening 15 grant program is contingent upon an appropriation of 16 state funds or the availability of private resources; 17 amending s. 400.1755, F.S.; specifying the types of 18 facilities where an employee or direct caregiver 19 providing care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease 20 may begin employment without repeating certain 21 training requirements; amending s. 400.6045, F.S.; 22 requiring direct caregivers to comply with certain 23 continuing education requirements; amending s. 24 429.178, F.S.; specifying the types of facilities 25 where an employee or direct caregiver providing care 26 for persons with Alzheimer’s disease may begin 27 employment without repeating certain training 28 requirements; providing an effective date. 29 30 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease is a slow, progressive 31 disorder of the brain which results in loss of memory and other 32 cognitive functions, is the eighth leading cause of death in the 33 United States, and currently affects an estimated 5 million 34 Americans, with that number expected to increase to 16 million 35 by mid-century, and 36 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease strikes approximately 1 in 10 37 people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those who are age 38 85 or older, although some people develop symptoms as young as 39 age 40, and 40 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease takes an enormous toll on 41 family members who are the caregivers for individuals having the 42 disease, and 43 WHEREAS, caregivers for individuals who have Alzheimer’s 44 disease suffer more stress, depression, and health problems than 45 caregivers for individuals who have other illnesses, and 46 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease costs United States businesses 47 more than $60 billion annually due to lost productivity and 48 absenteeism by primary caregivers and increased insurance costs, 49 and 50 WHEREAS, recent advancements in scientific research have 51 demonstrated the benefits of early medical treatment for persons 52 who have Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of early access to 53 counseling and other support services for their caregivers, and 54 WHEREAS, research shows that several medications have been 55 developed which can reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, 56 that persons begin to benefit most when these medications are 57 taken in the early stages of a memory disorder, and that this 58 intervention may extend the period during which patients can be 59 cared for at home, thereby significantly reducing the costs of 60 institutional care, and 61 WHEREAS, with early diagnosis, patients can participate in 62 decisions regarding their care and their families can take 63 advantage of support services that can reduce caregiver 64 depression and related health problems, and 65 WHEREAS, in direct response to research breakthroughs, 66 National Memory Screening Day was established as a collaborative 67 effort by organizations and health care professionals across the 68 country to promote awareness and early detection of memory 69 impairments, and 70 WHEREAS, on National Memory Screening Day, which is held on 71 the third Tuesday of November in recognition of National 72 Alzheimer’s Disease Month, health care professionals administer 73 free memory screenings at hundreds of sites throughout the 74 United States, and 75 WHEREAS, memory screening is used as an indicator of 76 whether a person might benefit from more extensive testing to 77 determine whether a memory or cognitive impairment exists and 78 identifies persons who may benefit from medical attention, but 79 is not used to diagnose any illness and in no way replaces 80 examination by a qualified physician, NOW, THEREFORE, 81 82 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 83 84 Section 1. Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes, is created 85 to read: 86 430.5025 Memory-impairment screening; grants.— 87 (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall develop and 88 implement a public education program relating to screening for 89 memory impairment and the importance of early diagnosis and 90 treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. 91 (2) The department may award grants to qualifying entities 92 to support the development, expansion, or operation of programs 93 that provide: 94 (a) Information and education on the importance of memory 95 screening for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s 96 disease and related disorders. 97 (b) Screenings for memory impairment. 98 (3) As used in this section, the term “qualifying entities” 99 means public and nonprofit private entities that provide 100 services and care to individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease or 101 related disorders and their caregivers and families. 102 (4) When awarding grants under this section, the department 103 shall give preference to applicants that: 104 (a) Have demonstrated experience in promoting public 105 education and awareness of the importance of memory screening or 106 providing memory-screening services. 107 (b) Have established arrangements with health care 108 providers and other organizations to provide screenings for 109 memory impairment in a manner that is convenient to individuals 110 in the communities served by the applicants. 111 (c) Provide matching funds. 112 (5) A qualifying entity that receives a grant under this 113 section shall submit to the department an evaluation that 114 describes activities carried out with funds received under this 115 section, the long-term effectiveness of such activities in 116 promoting early detection of memory impairment, and any other 117 information that the department requires. 118 (6) The department may set aside an amount not to exceed 15 119 percent of the total amount appropriated to the memory 120 impairment screening grant program for the fiscal year to 121 provide grantees with technical support in the development, 122 implementation, and evaluation of memory-impairment screening 123 programs. 124 (7) A grant may be awarded under subsection (2) only if an 125 application for the grant is submitted to the department and the 126 application is in the form, is made in the manner, and contains 127 the agreements, assurances, and information that the department 128 determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of this 129 section. 130 (8) The department shall annually submit to the President 131 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a 132 report on the activities carried out under this section, 133 including provisions describing the extent to which the 134 activities have affected the rate of screening for memory 135 impairment and have improved outcomes for patients and 136 caregivers. 137 Section 2. Implementation.— 138 (1) Implementation of the public education program created 139 under s. 430.5025, Florida Statutes, shall operate within 140 existing resources of the Department of Elderly Affairs. 141 (2) Implementation of the memory-impairment screening grant 142 program created under s. 430.5025, Florida Statutes, is 143 contingent upon appropriation of state funds or the availability 144 of private resources. 145 Section 3. Subsection (6) of section 400.1755, Florida 146 Statutes, is amended to read: 147 400.1755 Care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or 148 related disorders.— 149 (6) Upon completing any training listed in this section, 150 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate 151 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic 152 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider. 153 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the 154 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not 155 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or 156 direct caregiver changes employment to a different facility or 157 to an assisted living facility, home health agency, adult day 158 care center, or hospiceadult family-care home. The direct 159 caregiver must comply with other applicable continuing education 160 requirements. 161 Section 4. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section 162 400.6045, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 163 400.6045 Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other related 164 disorders; staff training requirements; certain disclosures.— 165 (1) A hospice licensed under this part must provide the 166 following staff training: 167 (h) Upon completing any training described in this section, 168 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate 169 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic 170 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider. 171 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the 172 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not 173 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or 174 direct caregiver changes employment to a different hospice or to 175 a home health agency, assisted living facility, nursing home, or 176 adult day care center. The direct caregiver must comply with 177 other applicable continuing education requirements. 178 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 429.178, Florida 179 Statutes, is amended to read: 180 429.178 Special care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease 181 or other related disorders.— 182 (4) Upon completing any training listed in subsection (2), 183 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate 184 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic 185 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider. 186 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the 187 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not 188 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or 189 direct caregiver changes employment to a different assisted 190 living facility or nursing home, hospice, adult day care center, 191 or home health agencyfacility. The employee or direct caregiver 192 must comply with other applicable continuing education 193 requirements. 194 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.