Alzheimer’s Advocates Head To Capitol To Support Relief Legislation
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Alzheimer’s advocates from across Tennessee are headed to the Capitol in Nashville on Wednesday, March 6th to urge lawmakers to support legislation that will help to provide respite care to those suffering from the disease, as well as those caring for them.
The group of more than 80 advocates plan to meet with 100 plus legislators to ask them to provide support for the Colonel Thomas G. Bowden Memorial Act (HB1686/SB1749). The legislation is sponsored by Senator Shane Reeves (R-District 14) and Representative Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville-District 42).
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The legislation would create a three-year pilot program that would provide services in the home and community for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The program would give individuals access to free or reduced-cost services such as respite care, meals delivered to the home, and housekeeping assistance.
150 Tennessee residents would be eligible for those benefits in the first wave of the program. The goal of the program is to help alleviate some of the burden faced by the more than 361,000 caregivers across the state who give more than 500 million hours of unpaid care every year to the 120,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementia in Tennessee.
The bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on Wednesday, April 6th, 2022.
