Senate HHS advances bill to expand dementia care, memory clinics and specialists

The Senate Committee on Human Services voted to advance HB1853 — legislation to create a statewide memory network and expand dementia services — after more than an hour of testimony from caregivers, clinicians and patient advocates.

Supporters, including the Executive Office on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, told the committee the proposal would provide dementia specialists and memory clinics to help families navigate diagnosis and treatment. Tony Salazar of the Executive Office on Aging said the office recommends one dementia specialist per county plus a program manager (five staff total) and estimated about $140,000 per specialist, with a program allocation of roughly $3 million to cover initial implementation. “We are in alignment with the recommended language from the Alzheimer’s Association,” Salazar said.

Multiple witnesses described lengthy delays and gaps in follow-up care on neighbor islands. Peter Black, who said he lives with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and his wife, Barbara Black, described how an early diagnosis allowed planning and access to treatment they said was not available to many families. “Early detection also provides access to treatments to slow progression of the disease,” Barbara Black said.

Committee members pressed for fiscal detail. Chair (identified in the hearing as the committee chair) noted the state faces federal cutbacks and said the timing and amount requested would be considered; Salazar pointed to the $3 million program allocation as covering the elements he described. The chair said technical amendments and an updated effective/defective date would be included in committee language and that the committee report would note open appropriation and vacant full‑time position counts requested by the Executive Office on Aging.

Why it matters: Advocates said HB1853 would reduce the time to diagnosis, improve follow‑up care and create coordinated resources that are currently absent on Hawaii’s neighbor islands, where geography and limited provider availability exacerbate access problems.

What’s next: The committee passed the bill with amendments and will include the appropriation and staffing requests in its report for subsequent budget and floor consideration. The committee also set a later defective/effective date in the recommended draft.