HJ0039 Engrossed LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 39

 
2     WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is a slow, progressive
3 disorder of the brain that results in loss of memory and other
4 cognitive functions and, eventually, results in death; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Because Alzheimer's is accompanied by memory
6 loss, poor judgment, changes in personality and behavior, and a
7 tendency to wander, individuals with this disease are at
8 increased risk for accidental injury, getting lost, abuse,
9 neglect, and exploitation; and
 
10     WHEREAS, With one in 10 people over age 65 and almost one
11 in every two people over 85 having Alzheimer's disease or a
12 related dementia, over the past 10 years the number of
13 Illinoisans with Alzheimer's and related dementias has risen
14 dramatically to the point that today over 210,000 people are
15 affected; and
 
16     WHEREAS, As the baby boom generation enters the age of
17 greatest risk for Alzheimer's, by 2025 their number in Illinois
18 is expected to increase to over 239,000; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease takes an enormous toll on
20 loving family members, with an estimated one in four acting as
21 a caregiver for each individual with the disease; and
 

 

 

HJ0039 Engrossed - 2 - LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1     WHEREAS, Caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's watch
2 closely the deleterious effects of the disease and often suffer
3 more stress, depression, and health problems than caregivers of
4 people with other illnesses; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is considered to be early
6 onset if an individual is younger than 65 when symptoms first
7 appear, and early onset Alzheimer's can strike someone as early
8 as their 30s, 40s, and 50s, with new data showing there may be
9 half a million Americans under age 65 who have dementia or
10 cognitive impairment at a level of severity consistent with
11 dementia; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act created
13 the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee of 21 members to
14 review all State programs and services provided by State
15 agencies that are directed toward persons with Alzheimer's
16 Disease and related dementias and to recommend changes to
17 improve the State's response to this serious health problem;
18 and
 
19     WHEREAS, The 93rd General Assembly created the Legislative
20 Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease pursuant to House Joint
21 Resolution 14, and that task force conducted hearings which
22 included each of the State agencies having primary

 

 

HJ0039 Engrossed - 3 - LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1 responsibility for implementing the "Alzheimer's Initiative"
2 of the 84th General Assembly when this matter was given a high
3 priority nearly 20 years ago, and the agencies were instructed
4 to provide an update on the progress made in implementing that
5 initiative - to determine whether the programs and services
6 developed by the State agencies reflect the original priority;
7 the reports of the agencies did not demonstrate any particular
8 progress, nor priority commensurate with the original interest
9 and intent of the General Assembly; and
 
10     WHEREAS, THE 93rd General Assembly Legislative Task Force
11 on Alzheimer's Disease recommended that the function of the
12 statutory Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee should be
13 expanded to include oversight and evaluation of the services
14 provided by the various State agencies and to solicit
15 additional findings and recommendations for improving State
16 programs and services; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois must not be complacent and
18 must renew its commitment to develop a more aggressive State
19 plan to ensure that the framework of programs and services to
20 help Illinoisans with Alzheimer's and other related dementia
21 are functioning and capable of meeting the challenge of this
22 serious public health problem among Illinoisans; therefore, be
23 it
 

 

 

HJ0039 Engrossed - 4 - LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
3 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Department of
4 Public Health immediately comply with the Alzheimer's Disease
5 Assistance Act in activating the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory
6 Committee and ensuring that it fulfills the requirement of
7 reviewing all State programs and services provided by State
8 agencies directed toward persons with Alzheimer's Disease and
9 related dementias, and recommending changes to improve the
10 State's response to this serious health problem; and be it
11 further
 
12     RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health, in
13 conjunction with the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee,
14 assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease on
15 Illinoisans, to examine the existing services and resources
16 addressing the needs of persons with Alzheimer's and their
17 families and caregivers, and to prepare, and develop a strategy
18 to implement, an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia
19 State Plan in response to this public health crisis; and be it
20 further
 
21     RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee
22 shall include in its Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related
23 Dementia State Plan an examination of the following:
24         (1) trends in the State's Alzheimer's population and

 

 

HJ0039 Engrossed - 5 - LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1     their needs, including the changing population with
2     dementia, including but not limited to:
3             (A) the State's role in long-term care, family
4         caregiver support, and assistance to persons with
5         early-stage and early onset Alzheimer's; and
6             (B) the State's policy regarding persons with
7         Alzheimer's and developmental disabilities;
8         (2) existing services, resources, and capacity,
9     including but not limited to:
10             (A) the type, cost, and availability of dementia
11         services;
12             (B) the capacity of public safety and law
13         enforcement to respond to persons with Alzheimer's;
14             (C) the availability of home and community-based
15         resources for persons with Alzheimer's and respite
16         care to assist families;
17             (D) an inventory of long-term care special
18         dementia care units;
19             (E) the adequacy and appropriateness of
20         geriatric-psychiatric units for persons with behavior
21         disorders associated with Alzheimer's and related
22         dementias;
23             (F) assisted living residential options for
24         persons with dementia; and
25             (G) State support of Alzheimer's research through
26         Illinois universities and other resources; and

 

 

HJ0039 Engrossed - 6 - LRB095 11690 DRJ 34537 r

1         (3) needed State policies and responses, including,
2     but not limited to, recommendations for provision of clear
3     and coordinated services and support to persons and
4     families living with Alzheimer's and related disorders,
5     and ways to address any identified gaps in service; and be
6     it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That the Department on Aging, in cooperation with
8 the Department of Public Health and the Department of
9 Healthcare and Family Services, shall provide support staff to
10 the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee and shall be
11 responsible for preparing any necessary materials and reports
12 in conjunction with the work of the Committee; and be it
13 further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee
15 shall provide an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia
16 State Plan to the Governor and the General Assembly no later
17 than January 1, 2009; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19 delivered to the Governor, the Director of Aging, the Director
20 of Public Health, and the Director of Healthcare and Family
21 Services.