Members of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee have approved a measure setting minimum training standards for caregivers of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Bill Sponsor Steve Meredith testified Wednesday the bill should not be viewed as criticism of current home health and personal care aides, but an effort to ensure universal standards.
Mackenzie Longoria is the public policy director with the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “A lot of you may be thinking why are we talking about this now when we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and more regulations and training in an already strained health care system? But, the fact of the matter is this workforce has been in dire need of upscaling and attention for decades now,” said Longoria.
Longoria said the need for such care will only grow in the years ahead. The Alzheimer’s Association representative noted every ten seconds someone is turning 65 across the U.S. And Longoria added an increasing number of patients want to receive care in their homes.
Meredith said the universal training could help with retention and it includes a consumer protection focus.
In response to a question, Meredith said the bill wouldn’t pertain to the hiring of family or friends to offer such care. Longoria added it would be great to offer such training to those individuals.?
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