08 LC 33
2556
Senate
Resolution 1188
By:
Senators Orrock of the 36th, Thomas of the 54th, Goggans of the 7th, Unterman of
the 45th, Butler of the 55th and others
ADOPTED
SENATE
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Senate Alzheimer´s Disease and Other Dementias Study Committee; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Alzheimer´s disease is a slow, progressive disorder of the brain that
results in loss of memory and other cognitive function and, eventually, results
in death; and
WHEREAS,
because Alzheimer´s is accompanied by memory loss, poor judgment, changes
in personality and behavior and a tendency to wander, individuals with this
disease are at increased risk for accidental injury, getting lost, abused,
neglected and exploited; and
WHEREAS,
research shows that one in ten people over the age of 65 and almost one in every
two people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer´s disease or a related
dementia. Given Georgia´s population that means that more than 161,000
older Georgians suffer with Alzheimer´s disease or a related dementia;
and
WHEREAS,
the number of persons with Alzheimer´s disease is expected to increase
exponentially due to the aging of the baby boomers; and
WHEREAS,
Alzheimer´s disease takes an enormous toll on loving family members, with
an estimated one in four Georgians acting as caregivers for each individual with
the disease; and
WHEREAS,
caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer´s watch closely the deleterious
effects of the disease and often suffer more stress, depression, and health
problems than caregivers of people with other illnesses; and
WHEREAS,
there is an increasing number of individuals developing early-onset
Alzheimer´s disease—a form of the disease occurring prior to age 65,
when individuals are in their 30´s, 40´s, 50´s, or early
60´s; and
WHEREAS,
early-onset Alzheimer´s disease can be particularly difficult on family
dynamics and economics due to the early age of disease onset; and
WHEREAS,
no surveillance currently exists in Georgia to track the number of persons who
have been diagnosed with Alzheimer´s disease; and
WHEREAS,
there is an economic impact of Alzheimer´s disease upon the business,
medical, and caregiver communities of Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia needs to assess the current and future impact of
Alzheimer´s disease on Georgians and state systems, programs, and services
to assure an integrated, comprehensive, coordinated, and up-to-date strategy to
address the needs of this growing segment of Georgia´s population;
WHEREAS,
it would be beneficial to study and make recommendations on the
following:
(1)
Surveillance of persons with Alzheimer´s disease for purposes of having
proper estimates of the number of Georgians with Alzheimer´s
disease;
(2)
Safety and well-being of persons with Alzheimer´s disease (driving
assessment and emergency placement for persons who are found or
abandoned);
(3)
Dementia care practice recommendations to ensure quality care in long-term
settings;
(4)
Future need for dementia related services as well as funding for programs for
individuals with dementias (including those with early-onset); and
(5)
Implementation of the following action steps to improve public health
surveillance:
(A)
Add the Communicable Disease Center´s optional module on caregiving,
including questions about memory and other cognitive problems of the care
recipient to Georgia´s 2009 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance
System;
(B)
Add the additional questions on memory and thinking to Georgia´s 2009
Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System;
(C)
Plan for simple and cross-tabular analysis of the data generated in the state
and for its wide public dissemination; and
(D)
Add the module on memory and other cognitive problems that is being developed by
the Communicable Disease Center´s expert panel to Georgia´s 2010
Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that there is created the Senate
Alzheimer´s Disease and Other Dementias Study Committee to be composed of
five members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate and not more
than an additional five members who are stakeholders including one member who
has early memory loss appointed by the President of the Senate. The President
of the Senate shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the
committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of
Alzheimer´s disease and other dementia disorders and shall initiate a
stakeholder process to develop a state strategic plan based on the study. The
Senate Alzheimer´s Disease and Other Dementias Study Committee shall
provide a report to the President of the Senate by November 30, 2008, whereupon
it shall be disseminated to the chairpersons of the appropriate Senate
committees and shall also provide the report to the Department of Human
Resources Division of Aging Services for consideration and to the Georgia
Council on Aging for consideration and inclusion in the report it is preparing
regarding aging in Georgia.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee may conduct meetings at such places and
at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise
fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the
objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the
committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of
the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The allowances authorized by this
resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than
five days unless additional days are authorized. The funds necessary to carry
out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to
the Senate. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2008.