Committee approves bill adding assisted-living and home-care seats to Alzheimer's advisory council

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on [date not specified] unanimously approved House Bill 1166 to add two provider representatives to the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Advisory Council.

David Cook, senior public policy manager for the Alzheimer's Association, told the committee advocates would gather in the rotunda at 11:30 and explained the advocacy day symbolism, saying the flowers lawmakers will hold indicate personal connections to the disease. Cook described the council's recent work updating the state plan and noted Arkansas's caregiver population: "Here in Arkansas, we have over 93,000 caregivers that provide unpaid care to individuals living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia." He said the unpaid care provided by families represents an estimated $2,100,000,000 in value to the state.

Sponsor remarks to the committee said the council had been updating the state plan and lacked representation from home-care and assisted-living providers; HB 1166 adds an executive director from the Arkansas Residential Assisted Living Association and a representative from the Arkansas Home Care Services Association to address that gap. With no questions or registered opposition, a do-pass motion was made and the committee approved the bill by voice vote.

The committee did not record a roll-call tally; the chair announced the measure passed by voice vote. Next steps for the bill are the normal legislative calendar actions following committee approval.