Bill Text: WV SCR37 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

West Virginia Senate Concurrent Resolution 37 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Urging Bureau for Public Health designate Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as public health issue

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-19 - To Health and Human Resources [SCR37 Detail]

Download: West_Virginia-2019-SCR37-Introduced.html

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37

(By Senators Takubo, Stollings, Jeffries, and Prezioso)

[Introduced February 18, 2019]

Urging the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health to designate Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as a public health issue.

Whereas, It is the intent of the Legislature to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, address cognitive impairment, promote brain health, and meet the needs of caregivers; and

Whereas, Alzheimer’s disease has been traditionally seen as an aging issue but it is also a public health issue because the burden to society is large, the impact is major, and there are ways to intervene throughout the lifespan; and

Whereas, The onset of Alzheimer’s disease cannot yet be stopped or reversed; and

Whereas, Early detection and diagnosis give people with dementia and their families a better chance of receiving and benefitting from treatment, care and support services, and allow them to better prepare for medical, legal, and financial decisions in the future; and

Whereas, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in adults age 18 or older in the United States; and

Whereas, Currently, there are no definitive interventions or successful treatments to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease; and

Whereas, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared that it is essential to promote early detection, educate the public about risk reduction, and continue accurately tracking the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias; and

Whereas, In conjunction with the CDC, the Bureau for Public Health annually conducts the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to gather statewide public health data; and

Whereas, In the 2015 BRFSS survey, 10 percent, or one in 10, of West Virginia residents aged 45 and older reported an increase in confusion or worsening memory loss, and more than half of them (52.4 percent) had not discussed these cognitive concerns with a health care provider; and

Whereas, Dementia caregivers often suffer from stress, depression, increased illnesses, and chronic health issues providing care to their loved ones for long periods of time, saving tax payers billions of dollars in the process; and

Whereas, The Legislature recognizes the important responsibility the Bureau for Public Health has in promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors among the general public, increasing early detection and diagnosis of disease and disability, reducing risk of future illness and injury, educating the health care workforce, and monitoring the health of the state; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Legislature hereby urges the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health to designate Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as a public health issue; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health.