PROGRESS REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION GEORGIA CHAPTER 2008 PUBLIC POLICY PLATFORM:  Not all public policy issues require legislative action--some require the Association to take the leadership in working with other agencies and organizations to develop task forces, networks, mechanisms, or protocols.  2008 was a year in which much of the Public Policy action taken in Georgia was behind the scenes in relationship building with legislators and these other allied organizations.  Many of our priorities require multiple years to develop, plan, and implement, so you will also note a time line as to when we anticipate uncompleted items to be completed (Completion Date CD2012, etc.):

Alzheimer's Association GA Chapter Appears Before Georgia House of Representatives to be Recognized--a group of Association caregivers, advocates, volunteers, and staff appeared before the Georgia House of Representatives as the House commended and recognized the Association "for the outstanding job it is doing to fight this terrible illness."  Representative Sheila Jones introduced the Resolution.  Completed--2008

Adult Day Care Regulations--worked actively with the Congregational Respite programs, Representative Len Walker, and the Division of Aging on ensuring that existing congregational respite programs would be grandfathered under the new legislation--completed and became regulations in 2009.  Completed--2008

State Alzheimer's Disease Study Committee--A Resolution sponsored by State Senator Nan Orrock directed the appointment of a state study committee to review and report on the following:

• Surveillance of persons with Alzheimer's disease for purposes of having proper estimates of the number of Georgians with Alzheimer's disease;
• Safety and well-being of persons with Alzheimer's disease (driving assessment and emergency placement for persons who are found or abandoned;
• Dementia care practice recommendations to ensure quality care in long-term settings;
• Future need for dementia related services as well as funding for programs for individuals with dementias (including those with younger-onset); and
• Implementation of the following action steps to improve public health surveillance:
  • Add the Communicable Disease Center's optional module on caregiving, including questions about memory and other cognitive problems of the care recipient to Georgia's 2009 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System;
  • Add the additional questions on memory and thinking to Georgia's 2009 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System;
  • Plan for simple and cross-tabular analysis of the data generated in the state and for its wide public dissemination; and
  • Add the module on memory and other cognitive problems that is being developed by the Communicable Disease Center's expert panel to Georgia's 2010 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System.