Gomez Lobbies for Alzheimer’s Omnibus Legislation
State Senator Adam Gómez (D-Springfield) joined a throng of healthcare advocates on Beacon Hill Tuesday last week to testify before the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs in support of, S. 468, An Act to improve care and prepare for the new era of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Filed by Senator Gómez and Representative Danielle Gregoire, the bill would expand on the 2018 Alzheimer’s law signed by Governor Charlie Baker, creating a dedicated "Director of Dementia Care and Coordination" position inside the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and focusing on improving interactions between first responders and those living with these diseases.
Gómez, who represents the Hampden district and has a family history of Alzheimer’s Disease himself, losing his paternal grandfather to the disease, had this to say on his testimony Tuesday, “I don’t think that there are many of us in this room that have not been affected by this disease, which often requires 24/7 care and places an enormous emotional, physical and financial burden on patients, caregivers and health care systems. This legislation is important as we build off the great work that has already happened in Massachusetts in regard to Alzheimer’s-- furthering awareness, early detection, and coordination of services in the Commonwealth. I am proud to champion this effort and hope that the legislature can move on it in a timely manner.”
This bill focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awareness, data collection, and care coordination to help the Commonwealth prepare for the next generation of treatment. The bill directs the Department of Public Health to launch a public awareness campaign focused on brain health and dementia, targeting at-risk and diverse communities to promote early detection and caregiving resources. The legislation establishes a Director of Dementia Care and Coordination within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, responsible for executing the Alzheimer's Disease State Plan and enhancing service access and caregiver training, and would require MassHealth to incorporate Dementia Care Coordination services in Senior Care Options and One Care plans for members diagnosed with dementia.
In addition to that, The Gomez-Gregoire bill focuses on interactions between first responders and people living with dementia and Alzheimer's. It would require dementia training programs for police, firefighters, and EMTs through the Municipal Police Training Committee, the Department of State Police, the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, and the Department of Public Health. The training would cover symptoms, how to communicate with a dementia patient, identifying possible abuse or neglect, and protocols for contacting caregivers.
The 2018 law required hospitals to meet a 2021 deadline for completing and implementing "an operational plan for the recognition and management of patients with dementia or delirium in acute-care settings.". The bill would extend the deadline to July 1, 2027, and call for the plans to be reviewed every five years after that.
The proposed dementia care post in EOHHS would work with the public health commissioner to ensure hospitals comply with the operational plan requirement. The new post would also coordinate statewide awareness efforts, study dementia-related training requirements, and track data collection. Chelsea Gordon of the Alzheimer's Association told the State House News Service that 27 other states have a similar position in their governments.
There are more than 135,000 people in Massachusetts living with Alzheimer's disease and more than 200,000 family caregivers, Gordon said, and that number is predicted to rise.