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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 23, 2020 09:35 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Thomas P. Murt |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia Early Detection/Continuing Education |
| According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease is the sixth leading cause of death. Currently, 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s Disease. In Pennsylvania, the total number of individuals age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s Disease is 280,000. It is estimated that this population will increase to 320,000 by the year 2025. Early identification of cognitive impairment is critical to the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Only 16% of older adults receive routine cognitive assessments during their healthcare appointments; even though 82% of seniors believe it is important to have their memory and thinking checked. This legislation would direct health care providers to utilize cognitive assessment tools in order to detect and identify the early warning signs for our aging adult population. This legislation will assist the PA State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders to implement strategic actions and recommendations for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, this bill would provide guidelines for continuing education requirements necessary to address concerns of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other cognitive impairment disorders. By supporting this legislation, we can better serve Pennsylvania’s aging population and provide critical services to screen and detect these cognitive impairment concerns that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia concerns. |
Introduced as HB2695