Vote Smart's Synopsis:

a vote to pass a bill to require included facilities have sufficient staff to meet the needs of each resident and requires dementia care services training for staff

Highlights:

• Defines “dementia care services” as specialized care for individuals that have been formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, with that care including individual programming as well as group programming with others in the facility (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that this care can include in a general long term care facility or a memory care unit within a long term care facility (Sec. 1).

• Defines secured memory care unit as a designated area to prevent individuals with dementia or other memory impacting conditions from being able to exit and restricting access to exiting a facility (Sec. 1).

• Requires staffing plans for memory care facilities to meet all scheduled and unscheduled needs of residents and be prepared to act in an emergency situation (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the department to conduct an annual review of the facility and inspect it to make sure that there is enough staff to meet the needs of individuals living in the facility (Sec. 1).

• Requires employees who provide direct care to those with dementia to do at least 4 hours of dementia care training (Sec. 1)

• Specifies that the training must include all of the following topics (Sec. 1):

• Interactions with individuals that have Alzheimer’s;

• Psychological, social, and physical needs of dementia patients;

• Approaches to treatment that do not necessitate medication; and

• Safety measures to prevent harm of self and others

• Requires the training to occur within 60 days of the employee being hired (Sec. 1).

• Requires employees who provide indirect care to those with dementia to do at least 2 hours of dementia care training (Sec. 1)

• Requires assisted living facilities to report an individual's completion of training within 10 days of the date when the training requirement was met (Sec. 1).

• Requires assisted living facilities to keep a record of their staff’s completion of training for a minimum period of 3 years after it has initially been finished (Sec. 1).