Audrey Gibson Bill Would Require Enhanced Dementia Training for Healthcare Providers

Florida Sen. Audrey Gibson (D) has introduced a bill that would require certain healthcare workers to receive better training about dementia and Alzheimer's disease, reports Florida Politics . The measure would mandate that some employees of nursing communities, home healthcare providers, hospices, assisted living communities, and adult day care centers complete at least one hour of Department of Elder Affairs-approved dementia-related training within 30 days of commencing employment. Under current law, all employees at such venues must receive "basic written information about interacting with persons with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder" when they start work. Moreover, people who work closely with Alzheimer's patients are legally obligated to receive one hour of training about the disorder. Gibson's proposal would require employees who work directly with Alzheimer's sufferers or those with related ailments to complete at least three hours of approved training — which must include an overview of Alzheimer's, information about related disorders and patient-centered care, and content about dementia-related behaviors. Some care workers also would be required to receive four hours of approved continuing education on the topic each year. The measure also would de-license providers whose employees fail to complete training, as well as require the state's Department of Elder Affairs to craft a curriculum for training or approve a separate training program. Furthermore, the completion of training is contingent on providers earning a certain score on an assessment for each included topic area.