Read about the latest Alzheimer's news, including:
Iowa Governor Chet Culver Signs Alzheimer's Legislation
(May 8, 2008) Governor Culver signed SF 2341, legislation related to Alzheimer's disease in Iowa. This legislation is based on selected recommendations from the 2007 Alzheimer's disease task force and represents the 2008 legislative priorities of the Alzheimer's Association chapters in Iowa. In particular, the new law:Directs the Department of Elder Affairs to perform various actions regarding the needs of persons with Alzheimer's, including:
- Regularly review trends and initiatives related to Alzheimer's disease.
- Expand and improve the training and education of those who address the needs of such persons ad caregivers. This includes working in coordination with the Iowa Direct Care Worker Task Force to adopt rules for education and training requirements.
- Provide funding for building public awareness.
Requires the Department of Public Health to analyze the problem of Alzheimer's disease in Iowa:
- Determine the existing service utilization and future service needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of irreversible dementia.
- Address the availability of existing caregiver services for such needs and the appropriate service level for the future.
- Modify its community needs assessment activities to include questions to identify and quantify the numbers of such persons.
- Collect data regarding the numbers of such persons exhibiting combative behavior and the numbers of treatment providers. Health care facilities are required to provide information for the data collection.
Two state surveys available to caregivers, people living with Alzheimer's disease
If your life has been touched by Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs (DEA) and Illinois Legislature want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to share your experiences and suggestions for improving services and resources in Iowa and Illinois for caregivers as well as those living with dementing illness. If you live in Iowa, please take the survey here.
If you live in Illinois, please click here to take this survey.
Alzheimer's Association Opens Office in Fort Dodge
The Alzheimer's Association, Greater Iowa Chapter, is proud to announce the opening of a branch office in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Made possible through the generous financial support of Stan and Dottie Thurston, the office will be staffed by Marian Johnsen, Program and Services Coordinator. (For more information on the Thurston's contribution, please click here to read a newsletter article.
"I am thrilled and excited to be part of the Alzheimer's Association," said Marian. "To be on the forefront of this wonderful opportunity to expand services and care into northern Iowa, is hard to describe. The Greater Iowa Chapter's services and programs are invaluable for caregivers, and I look forward to providing them as well as face-to-face meeting time to those in need."
The Fort Dodge office of the Alzheimer's Association is at:
1605 1st Avenue N.
Suite 4
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: 515.576.4884
24-hour Helpline: 1.800.272.3900
