In May 2019, Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order No. 19-08, establishing the Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force. The Task Force was responsible for assessing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in Kansas, including the services and resources in place and needed to address the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers. The Task Force was then tasked with a strategy to mobilize a state response to the Alzheimer’s public health crisis in Kansas. The members were divided into committees that studied, researched and documented: public awareness, access to care, family caregivers, training and workforce, safety and legal, research and data, dementia care, and rural. The Task Force met bi-monthly between the months of August and November of 2019 and in January 2020, published the 2020 Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Plan. An executive summary was also prepared.

Establish Licensing Requirements for Memory Care Units  

Individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia make up a significant portion of those using long-term care services. They also have unique needs that often make care delivery and  communication more challenging. Some assisted living communities in Kansas offer memory care units for residents living with dementia. However, these units do not have additional licensing requirements that qualify them to deliver specialized care to these residents, causing Kansans in long-term care to pay more each month for services they may not be receiving. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to support legislation creating a memory care licensing structure for assisted living communities.