Protect DC Residents with Alzheimer's by Funding the Dementia Training for Direct Care Workers Act
Following persistent advocacy by Alzheimer’s advocates, the District enacted legislation in 2020 which created a new standard for dementia training. The legislation requires eight hours of training on dementia for staff members at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living residences, adult day care facilities, home care agencies, and hospices. The requirement applies to all direct service staff, administrative staff, and independent contractors who work closely with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association supports an appropriation of $170,000 in 2021 to ensure that the DC Health Department can effectively implement and oversee the new dementia-training requirements.
Update the District's State Alzheimer's Plan
Today, numerous DC agencies administer a variety of programs critical to people living with dementia, including Medicaid, adult protective services, and health professional and facility licensure. However, these efforts are often siloed, with multiple agencies working separately from one another. The District needs an updated State Alzheimer’s Plan bringing all of the key officials and private-sector stakeholders together to outline a comprehensive and coordinated approach to addressing Alzheimer’s. Building off of work done by the Council and the Department of Health in 2019 and 2020, the Alzheimer’s Association will urge the Council and the Department of Health to reignite a stakeholder committee as a first step in developing a new State Alzheimer’s Plan.
District of Columbia State Plan Overview
In 2012 the District of Columbia Office on Aging (DCOA) established a workgroup of community partners and stakeholders throughout the District to develop an Alzheimer's plan. In 2013, the District of Columbia State Plan on Alzheimer's Disease 2014-2019 was published to mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's disease and improve access to benefits for those affected within the District. Legislation enacted in 2019 created the role of the Dementia Services Coordinator in the DC Department of Health and is tasked with implementing and updating the District’s State Alzheimer’s Plan.
District of Columbia State Advocacy Day
June 22, 2021
Join fellow Alzheimer’s advocates for an exciting Advocacy Day, and an opportunity to learn about and advocate for dementia-friendly policies. Over the course of ONE exciting day, we will: speak with Council Health Committee Chair Vincent C. Gray; meet our new Dementia Services Coordinator for the District of Columbia; and learn about the exciting research coming out of George Washington University tracking the prevalence of and resources available about dementia in the District. Show up, wear purple, and join us to #ENDALZ!
