101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4818

 

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Sonya M. Harper

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
320 ILCS 20/3.1 new

    Amends the Adult Protective Services Act. Requires the Department on Aging to develop and implement a dementia training program that must include instruction on the identification of people with dementia, risks such as wandering, communication impairments, elder abuse, and the best practices for interacting with people with dementia. Provides that initial training of 4 hours shall be completed at the start of employment with the Adult Protective Services division and shall cover several subjects, including: (i) dementia, psychiatric, and behavioral symptoms; (ii) communication issues, including how to communicate respectfully and effectively; and (iii) protocols for connecting people living with dementia to local care resources and professionals who are skilled in dementia care to encourage cross-referral and reporting regarding incidents of abuse. Provides that annual continuing education shall include 2 hours of dementia training covering the same subjects discussed during initial training. Grants the Department rulemaking authority.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4818LRB101 16907 KTG 66306 b

1    AN ACT concerning aging.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Adult Protective Services Act is amended by
5adding Section 3.1 as follows:
 
6    (320 ILCS 20/3.1 new)
7    Sec. 3.1. Adult protective services dementia training.
8    (a) This Section shall apply to any person who is employed
9by the Department in the Adult Protective Services division who
10works on the development and implementation of social services
11to respond to and prevent adult abuse, neglect, or
12exploitation.
13    (b) The Department shall develop and implement a dementia
14training program that must include instruction on the
15identification of people with dementia, risks such as
16wandering, communication impairments, elder abuse, and the
17best practices for interacting with people with dementia.
18    (c) Initial training of 4 hours shall be completed at the
19start of employment with the Adult Protective Services division
20and shall cover the following:
21        (1) Dementia, psychiatric, and behavioral symptoms.
22        (2) Communication issues, including how to communicate
23    respectfully and effectively.

 

 

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1        (3) Techniques for understanding and approaching
2    behavioral symptoms.
3        (4) Information on how to address specific aspects of
4    safety, for example tips to prevent wandering.
5        (5) When it is necessary to alert law enforcement
6    agencies of potential criminal behavior involving a family
7    member, caretaker, or institutional abuse; neglect or
8    exploitation of a person with dementia; and what types of
9    abuse that are most common to people with dementia.
10        (6) Identifying incidents of self-neglect for people
11    with dementia who live alone as well as neglect by a
12    caregiver.
13        (7) Protocols for connecting people living with
14    dementia to local care resources and professionals who are
15    skilled in dementia care to encourage cross-referral and
16    reporting regarding incidents of abuse.
17    (d) Annual continuing education shall include 2 hours of
18dementia training covering the subjects described in
19subsection (c).
20    (e) This Section is designed to address gaps in current
21dementia training requirements for Adult Protective Services
22officials and improve the quality of training. If currently
23existing law or rules contain more rigorous training
24requirements for Adult Protective Service officials, those
25laws or rules shall apply. Where there is overlap between this
26Section and other laws and rules, the Department shall

 

 

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1interpret this Section to avoid duplication of requirements
2while ensuring that the minimum requirements set in this
3Section are met.
4    (f) The Department may adopt rules for the administration
5of this Section.