Florida Senate - 2010 CS for SB 580
By the Committee on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
and Senator Wise
603-04261-10 2010580c1
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 of an
19 assisted living facility may begin employment without
20 repeating certain training requirements; amending s.
21 400.6045, F.S.; requiring direct caregivers to comply
22 with certain continuing education requirements;
23 amending s. 429.178, F.S.; specifying the types of
24 facilities where an employee or direct caregiver of an
25 assisted living facility may begin employment without
26 repeating certain training requirements; providing an
27 effective date.
28
29 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease is a slow, progressive
30 disorder of the brain which results in loss of memory and other
31 cognitive functions, is the eighth leading cause of death in the
32 United States, and currently affects an estimated 5 million
33 Americans, with that number expected to increase to 16 million
34 by mid-century, and
35 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease strikes approximately 1 in 10
36 people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those who are age
37 85 or older, although some people develop symptoms as young as
38 age 40, and
39 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease takes an enormous toll on
40 family members who are the caregivers for individuals having the
41 disease, and
42 WHEREAS, caregivers for individuals who have Alzheimer’s
43 disease suffer more stress, depression, and health problems than
44 caregivers for individuals who have other illnesses, and
45 WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease costs United States businesses
46 more than $60 billion annually due to lost productivity and
47 absenteeism by primary caregivers and increased insurance costs,
48 and
49 WHEREAS, recent advancements in scientific research have
50 demonstrated the benefits of early medical treatment for persons
51 who have Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of early access to
52 counseling and other support services for their caregivers, and
53 WHEREAS, research shows that several medications have been
54 developed which can reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,
55 that persons begin to benefit most when these medications are
56 taken in the early stages of a memory disorder, and that this
57 intervention may extend the period during which patients can be
58 cared for at home, thereby significantly reducing the costs of
59 institutional care, and
60 WHEREAS, with early diagnosis, patients can participate in
61 decisions regarding their care and their families can take
62 advantage of support services that can reduce caregiver
63 depression and related health problems, and
64 WHEREAS, in direct response to research breakthroughs,
65 National Memory Screening Day was established as a collaborative
66 effort by organizations and health care professionals across the
67 country to promote awareness and early detection of memory
68 impairments, and
69 WHEREAS, on National Memory Screening Day, which is held on
70 the third Tuesday of November in recognition of National
71 Alzheimer’s Disease Month, health care professionals administer
72 free memory screenings at hundreds of sites throughout the
73 United States, and
74 WHEREAS, memory screening is used as an indicator of
75 whether a person might benefit from more extensive testing to
76 determine whether a memory or cognitive impairment exists and
77 identifies persons who may benefit from medical attention, but
78 is not used to diagnose any illness and in no way replaces
79 examination by a qualified physician, NOW, THEREFORE,
80
81 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
82
83 Section 1. Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes, is created
84 to read:
85 430.5025 Memory-impairment screening; grants.—
86 (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall develop and
87 implement a public education program relating to screening for
88 memory impairment and the importance of early diagnosis and
89 treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.
90 (2) The department may award grants to qualifying entities
91 to support the development, expansion, or operation of programs
92 that provide:
93 (a) Information and education on the importance of memory
94 screening for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s
95 disease and related disorders.
96 (b) Screenings for memory impairment.
97 (3) As used in this section, the term “qualifying entities”
98 means public and nonprofit private entities that provide
99 services and care to individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease or
100 related disorders and their caregivers and families.
101 (4) When awarding grants under this section, the department
102 shall give preference to applicants that:
103 (a) Have demonstrated experience in promoting public
104 education and awareness of the importance of memory screening or
105 providing memory-screening services.
106 (b) Have established arrangements with health care
107 providers and other organizations to provide screenings for
108 memory impairment in a manner that is convenient to individuals
109 in the communities served by the applicants.
110 (c) Provide matching funds.
111 (5) A qualifying entity that receives a grant under this
112 section shall submit to the department an evaluation that
113 describes activities carried out with funds received under this
114 section, the long-term effectiveness of such activities in
115 promoting early detection of memory impairment, and any other
116 information that the department requires.
117 (6) The department may set aside an amount not to exceed 15
118 percent of the total amount appropriated to the memory
119 impairment screening grant program for the fiscal year to
120 provide grantees with technical support in the development,
121 implementation, and evaluation of memory-impairment screening
122 programs.
123 (7) A grant may be awarded under subsection (2) only if an
124 application for the grant is submitted to the department and the
125 application is in the form, is made in the manner, and contains
126 the agreements, assurances, and information that the department
127 determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of this
128 section.
129 (8) The department shall annually submit to the President
130 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
131 report on the activities carried out under this section,
132 including provisions describing the extent to which the
133 activities have affected the rate of screening for memory
134 impairment and have improved outcomes for patients and
135 caregivers.
136 Section 2. Implementation.—
137 (1) Implementation of the public education program created
138 under s. 430.5025, Florida Statutes, shall operate within
139 existing resources of the Department of Elderly Affairs.
140 (2) Implementation of the memory-impairment screening grant
141 program created under s. 430.5025, Florida Statutes, is
142 contingent upon appropriation of state funds or the availability
143 of private resources.
144 Section 3. Subsection (6) of section 400.1755, Florida
145 Statutes, is amended to read:
146 400.1755 Care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or
147 related disorders.—
148 (6) Upon completing any training listed in this section,
149 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate
150 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic
151 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider.
152 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the
153 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not
154 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or
155 direct caregiver changes employment to a different facility or
156 to an assisted living facility, home health agency, adult day
157 care center, or hospice adult family-care home. The direct
158 caregiver must comply with other applicable continuing education
159 requirements.
160 Section 4. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
161 400.6045, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
162 400.6045 Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other related
163 disorders; staff training requirements; certain disclosures.—
164 (1) A hospice licensed under this part must provide the
165 following staff training:
166 (h) Upon completing any training described in this section,
167 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate
168 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic
169 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider.
170 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the
171 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not
172 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or
173 direct caregiver changes employment to a different hospice or to
174 a home health agency, assisted living facility, nursing home, or
175 adult day care center. The direct caregiver must comply with
176 other applicable continuing education requirements.
177 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 429.178, Florida
178 Statutes, is amended to read:
179 429.178 Special care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease
180 or other related disorders.—
181 (4) Upon completing any training listed in subsection (2),
182 the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate
183 that includes the name of the training provider, the topic
184 covered, and the date and signature of the training provider.
185 The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the
186 identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not
187 required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or
188 direct caregiver changes employment to a different assisted
189 living facility or nursing home, hospice, adult day care center,
190 or home health agency facility. The employee or direct caregiver
191 must comply with other applicable continuing education
192 requirements.
193 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.