Full Text of SJR0043 95th General Assembly
SJ0043enr 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 43
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| WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is a slow, progressive | 3 |
| disorder of the brain that results in loss of memory and other | 4 |
| cognitive function and eventually results in death; and
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| 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
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| WHEREAS, With one in 10 people over age 65 and almost one | 11 |
| in every 2 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
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| 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
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| WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease takes an enormous toll on | 20 |
| loving family members, with an estimated one in 4 acting as | 21 |
| caregivers for each individual with the disease; and |
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| 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 composed of 21 | 14 |
| members to review all State programs and services provided by | 15 |
| State agencies that are directed toward persons with | 16 |
| Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and to recommend | 17 |
| changes to improve the State's response to this serious health | 18 |
| problem; and | 19 |
| WHEREAS, The 93rd General Assembly created the Legislative | 20 |
| Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease pursuant to House Joint | 21 |
| Resolution 14; that task force conducted hearings which | 22 |
| included each of the State agencies having primary |
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| 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; the agencies were instructed to | 4 |
| provide an update on the progress made in implementing that | 5 |
| initiative to determine whether the programs and services | 6 |
| developed by State agencies reflect the original priority; the | 7 |
| 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
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| 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
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 2 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 3 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Department of Public Health | 4 |
| immediately comply with the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act | 5 |
| in activating the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee and | 6 |
| ensuring that it fulfills the requirement of reviewing all | 7 |
| State programs and services provided by State agencies directed | 8 |
| toward persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias | 9 |
| and recommending changes to improve the State's response to | 10 |
| this serious health problem; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health, in | 12 |
| conjunction with the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee, | 13 |
| assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease on | 14 |
| the people of this State, examine the existing services and | 15 |
| resources addressing the needs of persons with Alzheimer's, | 16 |
| their families, and caregivers, and develop a strategy to | 17 |
| implement an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia | 18 |
| State Plan in response to this public health crisis; and be it | 19 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee | 21 |
| shall include in its Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related | 22 |
| Dementia State Plan an examination of the following: | 23 |
| (1) trends in the State Alzheimer's population and | 24 |
| needs, including the changing population with dementia, |
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| including but not limited to: | 2 |
| (a) the State role in long-term care, family | 3 |
| caregiver support and assistance to persons with | 4 |
| early-stage and early on-set Alzheimer's; | 5 |
| (b) State policy regarding persons with | 6 |
| Alzheimer's and developmental disabilities;
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| (2) existing services, resources, and capacity, | 8 |
| including but not limited to: | 9 |
| (a) the type, cost, and availability of dementia | 10 |
| services; | 11 |
| (b) the capacity of public safety and law | 12 |
| enforcement to respond to persons with Alzheimer's; | 13 |
| (c) the availability of home and community-based | 14 |
| resources for persons with Alzheimer's and respite | 15 |
| care to assist families; | 16 |
| (d) an inventory of long-term care special | 17 |
| dementia care units; | 18 |
| (e) the adequacy and appropriateness of | 19 |
| geriatric-psychiatric units for persons with behavior | 20 |
| disorders associated with Alzheimer's and related | 21 |
| dementias;
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| (f) assisted living residential options for | 23 |
| persons with dementia; | 24 |
| (g) State support of Alzheimer's research through | 25 |
| Illinois universities and other resources;
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| (3) needed State policies and responses, including, |
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| but not limited to recommendations for the provision of | 2 |
| clear and coordinated services and support to persons and | 3 |
| families living with Alzheimer's and related disorders and | 4 |
| ways to address any identified gaps in service; and be it | 5 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That the Department on Aging, in cooperation with | 7 |
| the Department of Public Health and the Department of | 8 |
| Healthcare and Family Services, shall provide support staff to | 9 |
| the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee and shall be | 10 |
| responsible for preparing any necessary materials and reports | 11 |
| in conjunction with the work of the Committee; and be it | 12 |
| further | 13 |
| RESOLVED, That the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee | 14 |
| shall provide an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Dementia | 15 |
| State Plan to the Governor and the General Assembly no later | 16 |
| than January 1, 2009; and be it further | 17 |
| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 18 |
| delivered to the Governor, the Director of Aging, the Director | 19 |
| of Public Health, and the Director of Healthcare and Family | 20 |
| Services.
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