HF 262

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/03/2017 08:35am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; extending the Alzheimer's disease working group;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [256.999] ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WORKING GROUP.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; members. new text end

new text begin (a) The Minnesota Board on Aging must
appoint an Alzheimer's disease working group that consists of no more than 20 members
including, but not limited to:
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new text begin (1) a caregiver of a person who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease;
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new text begin (2) a person who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease;
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new text begin (3) two representatives from the nursing facility or senior housing profession;
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new text begin (4) a representative of the home care or adult day services profession;
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new text begin (5) two representatives of the medical care provider community, one of whom serves a
diverse or underserved community;
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new text begin (6) a psychologist who specializes in dementia care;
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new text begin (7) an Alzheimer's researcher;
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new text begin (8) a representative of the Alzheimer's Association;
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new text begin (9) two members from community-based organizations serving one or more diverse or
underserved communities;
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new text begin (10) the commissioner of human services or a designee;
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new text begin (11) the commissioner of health or a designee;
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new text begin (12) the ombudsman for long-term care or a designee; and
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new text begin (13) at least two public members named by the governor.
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new text begin (b) The appointing authorities under this subdivision must complete their appointments
no later than July 15, 2017.
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new text begin (c) The membership of the working group must reflect the diversity in Minnesota, and
must include representatives from rural and metropolitan areas and representatives of
different ethnicities, races, genders, ages, cultural groups, and abilities.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties; recommendations. new text end

new text begin The Alzheimer's disease working group must
review and revise the 2011 report, Preparing Minnesota for Alzheimer's: the Budgetary,
Social and Personal Impacts, which examined the array of needs of individuals diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease, services available to meet these needs, and the capacity of the
state and current providers to meet these and future needs. The working group shall consider
and make recommendations and findings on the following issues:
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new text begin (1) cultural competency and responsiveness to reduce health disparities and improve
access to high-quality dementia care;
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new text begin (2) trends and disparities in the state's Alzheimer's population;
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new text begin (3) public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes, including knowledge gaps, stigma,
availability of information, and supportive community environments;
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new text begin (4) risk reduction, including health education and health promotion on risk factors,
safety, and potentially avoidable hospitalizations;
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new text begin (5) diagnosis and treatment, including early detection, access to diagnosis, quality of
dementia care, and cost of treatment;
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new text begin (6) professional education and training, including geriatric education for physicians and
nurses, and dementia-specific training for direct care workers, first responders, and other
professionals in communities;
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new text begin (7) caregivers, including contributions, supports, family caregiver education, and unmet
needs;
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new text begin (8) home and community-based care versus residential care, including research efforts;
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new text begin (9) home and community-based services, including cost to families, access to affordable,
quality services, service planning and delivery, and workforce development;
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new text begin (10) residential services, including cost to families as well as regulation and licensing
gaps;
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new text begin (11) financing long-term care, including Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care
insurance; and
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new text begin (12) research and data collection, including public health surveillance.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Meetings. new text end

new text begin (a) The board must select a designee to convene the first meeting of
the working group no later than July 15, 2017. Meetings of the working group must be open
to the public, and to the extent practicable, technological means, such as Web casts, shall
be used to reach the greatest number of people throughout the state. The members of the
working group shall select a chair from their membership at the first meeting.
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new text begin (b) The working group shall meet at least once every four years.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The Board on Aging must submit a report providing the findings and
recommendations of the working group, including any draft legislation necessary to
implement the recommendations, to the governor and chairs and ranking minority members
of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care no later than January 15,
2018, and must provide an updated report every four years thereafter.
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