12-R297
2012 -- S 2858
Enacted 05/25/12
J O I N T R E S
O L U T I O N
AFFIRMING THE
NEED FOR A STATE PLAN FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS
Introduced By: Senators Jabour, Ruggerio, Paiva Weed, Walaska, and Gallo
Date Introduced: April 10, 2012
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease is a fatal, degenerative disease of the brain that impairs
cognitive function, memory, and behavior; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease is not part of the normal aging process; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the
and the fifth leading cause of death for those over 65
years of age; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease is the only leading cause of death that cannot be
prevented, cured, or even slowed; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 5.4 million people nationwide have Alzheimer’s
disease,
including 200,000 individuals under the age of 65; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, approximately 24,000
Alzheimer’s disease; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for
an estimated sixty to eighty percent of incidence; and
WHEREAS, People living
with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders use hospital,
nursing home, and other health and long-term care services at
a high rate, resulting in high costs
to Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers; and
WHEREAS, Medicaid
payments for beneficiaries over the age of 65 with Alzheimer’s
disease are nine times higher than payments for those without
the disease; and
WHEREAS, By the year 2050, the total cost of care nationally for
individuals with
Alzheimer’s disease is expected to soar from $172
billion in 2010, to more than $1 trillion (in
today’s dollars); and
WHEREAS, Medicaid’s
share of that spending will increase over 400 percent during that
time; and
WHEREAS, These costs do not reflect the value of unpaid care provided
to those living
with Alzheimer’s disease by family members and friends;
and
WHEREAS, There are over 50,000 unpaid caregivers providing an
estimated 60 million
hours of uncompensated care for people living with
Alzheimer’s disease; and
WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s
disease takes a tremendous emotional toll on all whose lives it
touches, including family members, friends, and especially
the caregivers of those living with
Alzheimer’s disease; and
WHEREAS, Caregiving has negative effects on the caregiver’s own
employment,
income, financial security, and health; and
WHEREAS, The projected growth in the aging population of
with the particular needs of the Alzheimer’s disease
population, present a substantial and unique
challenge to the state; and
WHEREAS, On January 4,
2011, President Obama signed into law the National
Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), requiring the
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services to establish a national Alzheimer’s
Project; and
WHEREAS, On February 22,
2012, the
released a Draft National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease,
which includes the goal of
preventing or treating Alzheimer’s disease by 2025; and
WHEREAS,
momentum, as well as to identify and address the distinct
needs and unique challenges to the state
posed by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders; now
therefore be it,
RESOLVED,
That this General Assembly of the State of
Plantations hereby affirms
the need for a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders,
which shall serve as a comprehensive state strategy for
educating the public about Alzheimer’s
disease, collecting and analyzing statewide data related to
the current and future needs of
Alzheimer’s patients and
their caregivers, and recommending ways to improve the provision of
care and availability of community supports for those
living with Alzheimer’s disease and their
caregivers; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Long-Term Care Coordinating Council, as established in R.I.G.L.
23-17.3, convene an
Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders working group (hereafter
“working
group”), to be co-chaired by the chair of the Long-Term Care Coordinating
Council, the
lieutenant governor or designee, and the director of the
division of elderly affairs, for the purpose
of developing such a state plan; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the working group consist of community
stakeholders, including, but
not limited to, members of the long-term care
coordinating council; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the working group shall transmit to the governor
and to the general
assembly a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease and related
disorders on or before July 1, 2013; and
be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is
authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the
Governor of the State of
Lieutenant Governor of the
State of
the Chairperson of the Long-Term Care Coordinating
Council, and the Director of the Division of
Elderly
Affairs.
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LC02415
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