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1 | AMENDMENT TO SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 43
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend Senate Joint Resolution 43 by | ||||||
3 | replacing everything after the heading with the following:
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4 | "WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is a slow, progressive | ||||||
5 | disorder of the brain that results in loss of memory and other | ||||||
6 | cognitive function and eventually results in death; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Because Alzheimer's is accompanied by memory | ||||||
8 | loss, poor judgment, changes in personality and behavior, and a | ||||||
9 | tendency to wander, individuals with this disease are at | ||||||
10 | increased risk for accidental injury, getting lost, abuse, | ||||||
11 | neglect, and exploitation; and
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12 | WHEREAS, With one in 10 people over age 65 and almost one | ||||||
13 | in every 2 people over 85 having Alzheimer's disease or a | ||||||
14 | related dementia, over the past 10 years, the number of | ||||||
15 | Illinoisans with Alzheimer's and related dementias has risen |
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1 | dramatically to the point that today over 210,000 people are | ||||||
2 | affected; and
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3 | WHEREAS, As the baby boom generation enters the age of | ||||||
4 | greatest risk for Alzheimer's, by 2025 their number in Illinois | ||||||
5 | is expected to increase to over 239,000; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease takes an enormous toll on | ||||||
7 | loving family members, with an estimated one in 4 acting as | ||||||
8 | caregivers for each individual with the disease; and | ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, Caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's watch | ||||||
10 | closely the deleterious effects of the disease and often suffer | ||||||
11 | more stress, depression, and health problems than caregivers of | ||||||
12 | people with other illnesses; and | ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is considered to be early | ||||||
14 | onset if an individual is younger than 65 when symptoms first | ||||||
15 | appear, and early onset Alzheimer's can strike someone as early | ||||||
16 | as their 30s, 40s, and 50s, with new data showing there may be | ||||||
17 | half a million Americans under age 65 who have dementia or | ||||||
18 | cognitive impairment at a level of severity consistent with | ||||||
19 | dementia; and | ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, The Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act created | ||||||
21 | the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee composed of 21 |
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1 | members to review all State programs and services provided by | ||||||
2 | State agencies that are directed toward persons with | ||||||
3 | Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and to recommend | ||||||
4 | changes to improve the State's response to this serious health | ||||||
5 | problem; and | ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, The 93rd General Assembly created the Legislative | ||||||
7 | Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease pursuant to House Joint | ||||||
8 | Resolution 14; that task force conducted hearings which | ||||||
9 | included each of the State agencies having primary | ||||||
10 | responsibility for implementing the "Alzheimer's Initiative" | ||||||
11 | of the 84th General Assembly when this matter was given a high | ||||||
12 | priority nearly 20 years ago; the agencies were instructed to | ||||||
13 | provide an update on the progress made in implementing that | ||||||
14 | initiative to determine whether the programs and services | ||||||
15 | developed by State agencies reflect the original priority; the | ||||||
16 | reports of the agencies did not demonstrate any particular | ||||||
17 | progress, nor priority commensurate with the original interest | ||||||
18 | and intent of the General Assembly; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, The 93rd General Assembly Legislative Task Force | ||||||
20 | on Alzheimer's Disease recommended that the function of the | ||||||
21 | statutory Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee should be | ||||||
22 | expanded to include oversight and evaluation of the services | ||||||
23 | provided by the various State agencies and to solicit | ||||||
24 | additional findings and recommendations for improving State |
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1 | programs and services; and
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2 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois must not be complacent and | ||||||
3 | must renew its commitment to develop a more aggressive State | ||||||
4 | plan to ensure that the framework of programs and services to | ||||||
5 | help Illinoisans with Alzheimer's and other related dementia | ||||||
6 | are functioning and capable of meeting the challenge of this | ||||||
7 | serious public health problem among Illinoisans; therefore, be | ||||||
8 | it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | ||||||
10 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
11 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Department of Public Health | ||||||
12 | immediately comply with the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act | ||||||
13 | in activating the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee and | ||||||
14 | ensuring that it fulfills the requirement of reviewing all | ||||||
15 | State programs and services provided by State agencies directed | ||||||
16 | toward persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias | ||||||
17 | and recommending changes to improve the State's response to | ||||||
18 | this serious health problem; and be it further
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19 | RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health, in | ||||||
20 | conjunction with the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee, | ||||||
21 | assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease on | ||||||
22 | the people of this State, examine the existing services and | ||||||
23 | resources addressing the needs of persons with Alzheimer's, |
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1 | their families, and caregivers, and develop a strategy to | ||||||
2 | implement an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia | ||||||
3 | State Plan in response to this public health crisis; and be it | ||||||
4 | further
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5 | RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee | ||||||
6 | shall include in its Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related | ||||||
7 | Dementia State Plan an examination of the following: | ||||||
8 | (1) trends in the State Alzheimer's population and | ||||||
9 | needs, including the changing population with dementia, | ||||||
10 | including but not limited to: | ||||||
11 | (a) the State role in long-term care, family | ||||||
12 | caregiver support and assistance to persons with | ||||||
13 | early-stage and early on-set Alzheimer's; | ||||||
14 | (b) State policy regarding persons with | ||||||
15 | Alzheimer's and developmental disabilities;
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16 | (2) existing services, resources, and capacity, | ||||||
17 | including but not limited to: | ||||||
18 | (a) the type, cost, and availability of dementia | ||||||
19 | services; | ||||||
20 | (b) the capacity of public safety and law | ||||||
21 | enforcement to respond to persons with Alzheimer's; | ||||||
22 | (c) the availability of home and community-based | ||||||
23 | resources for persons with Alzheimer's and respite | ||||||
24 | care to assist families; | ||||||
25 | (d) an inventory of long-term care special |
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1 | dementia care units; | ||||||
2 | (e) the adequacy and appropriateness of | ||||||
3 | geriatric-psychiatric units for persons with behavior | ||||||
4 | disorders associated with Alzheimer's and related | ||||||
5 | dementias;
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6 | (f) assisted living residential options for | ||||||
7 | persons with dementia; | ||||||
8 | (g) State support of Alzheimer's research through | ||||||
9 | Illinois universities and other resources;
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10 | (3) needed State policies and responses, including, | ||||||
11 | but not limited to recommendations for the provision of | ||||||
12 | clear and coordinated services and support to persons and | ||||||
13 | families living with Alzheimer's and related disorders and | ||||||
14 | ways to address any identified gaps in service; and be it | ||||||
15 | further
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16 | RESOLVED, That the Department on Aging, in cooperation with | ||||||
17 | the Department of Public Health and the Department of | ||||||
18 | Healthcare and Family Services, shall provide support staff to | ||||||
19 | the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee and shall be | ||||||
20 | responsible for preparing any necessary materials and reports | ||||||
21 | in conjunction with the work of the Committee; and be it | ||||||
22 | further | ||||||
23 | RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee | ||||||
24 | shall provide an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia |
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1 | State Plan to the Governor and the General Assembly no later | ||||||
2 | than January 1, 2009; and be it further | ||||||
3 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
4 | delivered to the Governor, the Director of Aging, the Director | ||||||
5 | of Public Health, and the Director of Healthcare and Family | ||||||
6 | Services.". |