SECTION 1. Acute Care and Dementia Act

(a) Whereas The deferred operation of this Act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is forthwith to provide strategy to ensure dementia-capable care  in all acute care settings in the Commonwealth, therefore, given the increasing number of individuals with dementia, it is hereby declared to be necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.

(b) The purpose of the Act is to create the Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee, convened upon the order of the state legislature by the Department of Public Health.  The Acute Care Advisory Committee shall:

(1) Craft a strategy to address dementia-capable care in all acute care settings in the Commonwealth;

(2) be responsible for presentation of  strategy to the state legislature and all pertinent state agencies and departments  and  participation  in implementing said strategy;

(3) help to ensure acute care settings are dementia-capable, as defined in Appendix 1,with Alzheimer’s and related dementias;

(4) coordinate with federal government bodies to integrate and inform  dementia-capable care  in acute care settings, and

(5) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer’s and related dementia care in acute care settings across all state agencies.

SECTION 2. Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Advisory Committee. 

(1) There is established in the Acute Care and Dementia Act the Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’)

(2) Membership.

(A) The Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee shall comprise the following:

(i) A designee of the secretary of health and human services;

(ii) A designee of the secretary of elder affairs;

(iii) A designee of the commissioner of the department of public health;

(iv) A designee of the secretary of veteran’s affairs;

(v) A designee of MassHealth;

(vi) 2 Alzheimer patient advocates;

(vii) 2 Alzheimer caregivers;

(viii) 2 health care providers from acute care settings;

(ix) 2 researchers with Alzheimer-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical, or drug development science; 

(x) 2 designees of the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire Chapter; and

(xi) 2 designees of the Massachusetts Hospitals Association;

(3) The Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee shall meet within 90 days of this bill’s passage and a minimum three times over the six month period said Advisory Committee exists.

(4) The Advisory Committee shall advise the state legislature on Alzheimer’s and related dementia policy in acute care settings and provide a written report to both the state legislature and Governor of the Commonwealth and all other pertinent state agencies within 9 months of the Advisory Committee’s first meeting.

5) The Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee shall sunset upon completion of strategic plan and its delivery to the state legislature and office of the Governor and all other pertinent state agencies.

Appendix 1

Definition of Acute Care Setting: An acute care setting is a setting where patients receive short-term medical treatment  for acute illnesses or injury, or to recover from surgery. In this setting, medical and nursing personnel administer the care required to help restore a patient back to health

Definition of Dementia- Capable Care