PHOENIX — Changes to dementia care in our state could be hitting a roadblock - and it's something that would impact more than 150,000 Arizonans 65 and up, according to the Alzheimer's Association's Desert Southwest chapter.
For the past six months, groups like the Alzheimer's Association, medical experts, and industry leaders have been working together on an update to rules and guidelines for Arizona's memory care facilities, which would then be adopted by the Department of Health Services.
It comes after Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2764 into law last year, requiring the state to raise standards. In the Arizona House, it got unanimous support.
There is a vote happening Tuesday, June 3, to cement these rules into place to meet a July 1 deadline.
According to Tory Roberg, the Alzheimer's Association's Director of Government Affairs for the Desert Southwest chapter, who's been involved in the rules change process, some of the updates include:
- Increasing the number of initial dementia training hours from four to eight
- Requiring four hours of ongoing training each year after
- Mandating preventative measures for elopements
- Requiring elopements be reported to DHS within 24 hours.
It's now up to the Governor's Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) to vote and decide whether to adopt the new rules.
But groups like the Alzheimer's Association tell ABC15 there's been some pushback in the eleventh hour, and they're worried the rules update may not go through, creating a lot of uncertainty about what could happen next.
"We know that people living in memory care or receiving memory care may be at risk," explains Roberg. "We want to make sure people are taken care of properly and are safely and that all of the facilities that provide memory care services can adhere to the minimum standard of dementia training, making sure their staff know how to communicate effectively. We know it's possible; there are so many facilities in this state doing this already."
Opponents of the new rules spoke out at a virtual meeting on May 28. Some worried the rules were too vague or too repetitive, while others worried about the possible financial toll.
Elizabeth Goodwin, an attorney representing the Arizona Assisted Living Homes Association, said during the virtual meeting that her company represents many of the smaller providers across the state and worried they could be particularly impacted by the rules update.
"We are small business owners throughout the state, operating under pretty tight margins. Part of these tight margins is due to a lack of increased reimbursement rates from ALTCS that are consistent with inflation. We have seen many closures in the last couple years."
There is also a way for you to weigh in and be part of the public comment during that meeting on June 3.
For more information on the meeting, click here.
