231.62 - ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE SERVICES AND TRAINING.
231.62 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE SERVICES AND TRAINING.
1. The department shall regularly review trends and initiatives
to address the long-term living needs of Iowans to determine how the
needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of
irreversible dementia can be appropriately met.
2. The department shall act within the funding available to the
department to expand and improve training and education of persons
who regularly deal with persons with Alzheimer's disease and similar
forms of irreversible dementia. Such persons shall include but are
not limited to law enforcement personnel, long-term care resident's
advocates, state employees with responsibilities for oversight or
monitoring of agencies providing long-term care services, and workers
and managers in services providing direct care to such persons, such
as nursing facilities and other long-term care settings, assisted
living programs, elder group homes, residential care facilities,
adult day facilities, and home health care services. The actions
shall include but are not limited to adopting rules.
3. The department shall adopt rules in consultation with the
direct care worker task force established pursuant to 2005 Iowa Acts,
ch. 88,{ and in coordination with the recommendations made by the
task force, to implement all of the following training and education
provisions:
a. Standards for initial hours of training for direct care
staff, which shall require at least eight hours of classroom
instruction and at least eight hours of supervised interactive
experiences.
b. Standards for continuing and in-service education for
direct care staff, which shall require at least eight hours annually.
c. Standards which provide for assessing the competency of
those who have received training.
d. A standard curriculum model for the training and
education. The curriculum model shall include but is not limited to
the diagnosis process; progression of the disease; skills for
communicating with persons with the disease, family members and
friends, and caregivers; daily life skills; caregiver stress; the
importance of building relationships and understanding personal
histories; expected challenging behaviors; nonpharmacologic
interventions; and medication management.
e. A certification process which shall be implemented for the
trainers and educators who use the standard curriculum model.
4. The department shall conduct a statewide campaign to educate
health care providers regarding tools and techniques for early
detection of Alzheimer's disease and similar forms of irreversible
dementia so that patients and their families will better understand
the progression of such disease.
5. Within the funding available, the department shall provide
funding for public awareness efforts and educational efforts for
agencies providing long-term care services, direct care workers,
caregivers, and state employees with responsibilities for providing
oversight or monitoring of agencies providing long-term care
services. The department shall work with local Alzheimer's disease
association chapters and other stakeholders in providing the funding.
Section History: Recent Form
2008 Acts, ch 1140, §2 Footnotes
{2005 Iowa Acts, ch 88 repealed by 2008 Acts, ch 1156, §54, 58;
corrective legislation is pending
Legislative intent to implement training and education and provide
funding by July 1, 2010; 2008 Acts, ch 1140, §3