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Advocate
Update - Spring 2004
The
Alzheimer's Association was busy introducing and supporting legislation during
the Spring Session 2004. Several highlights are listed below. For more
information about our Advocacy efforts, and to learn about how you can help,
click here visit the Advocacy page of our website.
HB 4475/SB 2845
– This bill was a direct result of the Legislative Task Force on Alzheimer’s
Disease. These bills stabilize the overall funding mechanism of the Alzheimer's
Disease Centers at Rush Presbyterian, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the SIU
School of Medicine.
H.B.
4475/S.B. 2845 also expands the duties of the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory
Committee at the Illinois Department of Public Health. Currently, the
Committee’s primary function is to review the annual Alzheimer’s Disease
Assistance Plan prepared by IDPH. This bill would expand their duties to
include oversight and evaluation of the services provided by the various state
agencies and to solicit additional findings and recommendations for improving
state programs and services.
Finally, H.B. 4475/S.B. 2845
revises the duties of the Center for Minority Health Services at IDPH to include
advocacy and promotion of the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease among
minority populations.
HB 4475 and SB 2845 have
both passed the House and Senate and will be sent to the Governor for signing.
HB 6706
(Family Caregiver Act)
– has been on the Alzheimer's
Association Illinois Chapter Network for the past several years, and has been a
priority.
This bill creates the
Family Caregiver Act,
to be administered by the Department on Aging, for the purpose of encouraging
family members to provide care for their elderly family members.
This bill is crucial
because public funding for long-term care programs is biased in favor of
institutional setting, yet 70% of all people with Alzheimer’s disease live at
home and family and friends provide 75% of all care at no expense to the state.
H.B. 6706 provides
important services to family members taking care of loved ones at home, and will
save the state millions of dollars in the years to come.
HB 6706 has passed
both the House and the Senate and has been sent to the Governor for signing.
SB 2880
– The Alzheimer's Association was part of a working group on a Long Term Care
Reform Bill. The Alzheimer's Association platform emphasizes “Expanding and
promoting home and community based services” and we feel SB 2880 begins to do
just that. SB 2880 is promoting a long-term care system that is person centered
and is a system that offers a range of home and community based options to
persons with Alzheimer's disease, their families and caregivers.
SB
2880 has passed the House and the Senate and has been sent to the Governor for
signing.
The Alzheimer's Association will hold statewide
advocate training from October 11-15. More information will be forthcoming.
The first annual Alzheimer's Advocate Day will
take place at the State Capitol on November 9, 2004 during the fall Legislative
Veto Session.
For more information about our
Advocacy efforts, and to learn about how you can help,
click here visit the Advocacy page of our website.
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