TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Memory care facilities provide specialized residential care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
In Arizona, experts say memory care quality has been inconsistent, but there’s an already-successful push to make that care more reliable.
“So you’ll find that one facility does it really well, another one doesn’t,” said Tory Robert, Director of Government Affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association, Desert Southwest Chapter. “And the consumer has no idea how to determine that. And once you move your loved one into an assisted living facility, and they are living with dementia, to move that person would be, it could be very traumatic. It could set them back. So choosing a facility is very important.”
Roberg says there’s nearly two thousand assisted living facilities in Arizona that can offer so-called “directed care” for people with cognitive impairments, like Alzheimer’s and dementia. But there has been no real standard for “memory care.”
“There is no specific training on the disease or the special needs of people living with the disease,” she explained. “And that’s the gap we’re trying to fill.”
Enter Arizona House Bill 2764, introduced by Republican Tim Dunn, then signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs this spring. It establishes guidelines for the state’s memory care facilities: a minimum eight hours of training for all staff, plus another four hours for managers.
It’s a rare bipartisan success story.
“Whether you’re a Republican or you’re a Democrat, this is a disease that affects everyone,” said Roberg.
She calls the new standards a good start.
“We’re gonna have very clear, defined administrative roles on what memory care means… What’s gonna happen is, we’re gonna have improved quality of care. And that brings me so much joy.”
The standards go into effect in the summer of 2025. Roberg explains the delay is in part to allow businesses to adjust to implementing the new training standards.
More federal funding
Memory care is also an issue where both sides of political aisle seem to agree in Washington, D.C.
Congress recently agreed to add $100 million to federal research funding, bringing the total to $3.8 billion annually.
James Fitzpatrick, Director of Advocacy with the Alzheimer’s Association, says that funding has led to new treatments.
Plus, more than $30 million is being added to improve infrastructure and awareness nationwide.
“We need this to be a public health issue, like smoking, heart disease, skin cancer,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s amazing that Congress has put in money for this bill year over year… More and more people are developing Alzheimer’s and dementia, because we’re aging. We’re becoming a huge, aging population. And we need to address this.”
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates seven million Americans are impacted by the disease.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.