AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ALZHEIMER'S AND RELATED DEMENTIAS ACUTE CARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. (a) The department of public health shall convene an Alzheimer’s and related dementias acute care advisory committee. The committee shall consist of the secretary of health and human services or a designee; the secretary of elder affairs or a designee; the commissioner of public health or a designee; the secretary of veterans affairs or a designee; the office of Medicaid or a designee; 2 Alzheimer patient advocates; 2 Alzheimer caregivers; 2 health care providers from acute care settings; 2 researchers with Alzheimer-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical or drug development science; 2 representatives of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire chapter of the National Alzheimer’s Association; and 2 representatives of the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
(b) The committee shall meet within 90 days of the effective date of this act and a minimum of 3 times.
SECTION 2. (a) The committee shall: (i) craft a strategy to address dementia-capable care in all acute care settings in the commonwealth; (ii) be responsible for presentation of strategy to the general court and all pertinent state agencies and departments and participate in implementing the strategy; (iii) help to ensure that acute care settings are dementia-capable with Alzheimer’s and related dementias; (iv) coordinate with federal government bodies to integrate and inform dementia-capable care in acute care settings; and (v) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer’s and related dementia care in acute care settings across all state agencies.
(b) The committee shall advise the general court on Alzheimer’s and related dementia policy in acute care settings and make a written report to the general court, the governor and all other pertinent state agencies within 9 months of the committee’s first meeting.
Approved, August 5, 2014.