Two bills designed to protect and support many of the estimated 580,000 Florida seniors with Alzheimer's disease made it all the way through the Legislature this week.
Both bills were approved without opposition in the House and Senate and now need the governor's signature.
The House on Tuesday approved a measure (SB 1404) that would created a special memory care license for assisted living facilities. On Wednesday, it approved a bill (SB 578) to begin a statewide Alzheimer's awareness campaign.
Memory care services license
The new license would be in addition to the assisted living facilities' license issued by the Agency for Health Care Administration. It would be a requirement for facilities that advertise memory care services or provide care specifically for people with Alzheimer's or related dementias.
By July 2027, AHCA would develop standards – beyond the normal facility requirements – for the memory care license. Those include:
- Policies and procedures for providing memory care services.
- Standardized admittance criteria.
- The minimum level of care, services and activities.
- Minimum training requirements for staff.
- Safety requirements specific to memory care residents, including at least one staffer awake and on duty at all times.
- Physical plant requirements for the facility.
- Requirements for contracts with memory care residents specifying the services that will be provided.
AHCA would also develop specific rules on what facilities without a memory care services license can say in advertising.
By the end of next year, facilities providing memory care would have to become licensed under those standards.
Alzheimer's awareness initiative
The Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Initiative requires the state to contract with a statewide nonprofit to provide greater support and access to information. The initiative would include a website, advertising, in-person outreach and health care provider education.
"Florida has done a lot of work to help make education and training and services available to families who are afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia," said Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, as he presented the bill to the House. "This bill creates a public awareness initiative so that they are aware of those services.
"We are one of the only major states without a public awareness initiative," he added. "This bill rectifies that."
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