S.J.R. 1

1

ALZHEIMER'S STATE PLAN JOINT RESOLUTION
2 2012 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Karen W. Morgan
5 House Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This joint resolution of the Legislature expresses support for a State Plan for
10 Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . recognizes the increasing and enormous impact of Alzheimer's Disease and related
14 dementia on the citizens of Utah;
15 . expresses support for a State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias;
16 and
17 . encourages Utahns, Utah's communities, the private sector, and state and local
18 government agencies to work together to implement the State Plan for Alzheimer's
19 Disease and Related Dementias.
20 Special Clauses:
21 None
22
23 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's Disease is an ever-growing health concern among Utah
25 families;
26 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's Disease afflicts the individual suffering from the disease and
27 impacts their families and caregivers in an intense and very personal way;

28 WHEREAS, as directed by S.B. 48, 2011 General Session, the Alzheimer's State Plan
29 Task Force has developed a plan to help the victims of Alzheimer's Disease and related
30 dementias, their families, caregivers, state and local governments, and the private sector to
31 better understand and address its devastating consequences;
32 WHEREAS, the first goal of the plan is to make Utah more Dementia-aware through
33 culturally appropriate education campaigns, the dissemination of reliable, up-to-date disease
34 and care information, including the best evidence on how to reduce the risk for Alzheimer's
35 disease and related dementias, and the coordination of standardized information throughout
36 state and local governments;
37 WHEREAS, the second goal of the plan is to preserve the health and dignity of all who
38 suffer from dementia and those at risk, through engaging in a public health approach to
39 confront Utah's significant projected growth in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias,
40 improving access to timely diagnosis, differential treatment, and supportive services, providing
41 access to behavioral health services and person-centered in-home care that includes
42 evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions rather than more costly inpatient treatment,
43 securing the safety, independence, and mobility of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related
44 dementias with appropriate responses and policies for each stage of the disease, enhancing the
45 self-determination of persons with memory loss and mild dementia and preventing financial
46 exploitation and abuse, and implementing a statewide strategy to coordinate, integrate, deliver,
47 and monitor long-term care and services;
48 WHEREAS, the third goal of the plan is to support and empower family caregivers by
49 acknowledging and investing in the vital role of family caregivers with guidance on quality
50 care and the best utilization of family financial resources throughout the disease course,
51 empowering caregivers through a supportive network that is better coordinated, expanding
52 affordable respite care, and ensuring that all families have access to clinical post-mortem
53 diagnostic services and tissue banking to invest in the future health of their families;
54 WHEREAS, the fourth goal of the plan is to achieve a dementia-competent workforce
55 by strengthening the multidisciplinary workforce that cares for older adults and persons with
56 dementia throughout the continuum of care, improving the dementia care capacity and
57 competency of primary care providers, and training professionals in other, non-health care
58 fields that interface increasingly with persons who have dementia;

59 WHEREAS, the plan's fifth and final goal is to expand research on dementia in Utah by
60 recruiting and retaining world-class researchers, and attracting research investments that
61 generate economic multipliers to create jobs and drive innovation, and hastening development
62 of promising new treatments with increased patient research participation and more federal,
63 state, and private research dollars; and
64 WHEREAS, successfully implementing the plan, which will require the involvement of
65 citizens and communities throughout Utah, the private sector, and state and local governments,
66 will bring to individuals suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and related dementia and their
67 families and caregivers the resources needed to face the future and can help delay the onset of
68 the disease in those not yet afflicted:
69 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
70 recognizes the increasing and devastating impacts of Alzheimer's Disease and related
71 dementias on those afflicted and upon their families and caregivers.
72 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature expresses support for the State Plan
73 for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia as developed by the Alzheimer's State Plan
74 Task Force.
75 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages Utahns, Utah's
76 communities, the private sector, and state and local government agencies to work together to
77 implement the State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.
78 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Alzheimer's
79 State Plan Task Force, the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the Utah Division of
80 Aging and Adult Services, the Utah Bureau of Authorization and Community Based Services,
81 and to the Utah Department of Health.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-6-11 11:47 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel