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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to training on Alzheimer's disease and dementia for |
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certain Department of Family and Protective Services employees and |
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area agencies on aging employees and volunteers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 40.036 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 40.036. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA TRAINING. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Adult protective services employee" means a |
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division employee who performs a function described by Section |
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40.035(a). |
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(2) "Division" means the department's adult protective |
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services division. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), the |
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department shall develop a training program for adult protective |
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services employees on identifying and interacting with individuals |
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who have Alzheimer's disease or dementia. The program must include |
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an initial four-hour training requirement and an annual two-hour |
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continuing education requirement. The requirements are in addition |
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to the training required by Section 40.035, but may be provided in |
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conjunction with that training. The training program must cover, |
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at a minimum, information about: |
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(1) dementia, including behavioral and psychiatric |
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symptoms; |
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(2) interaction with an individual who has impaired |
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communication skills, including effective and respectful |
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communication techniques; |
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(3) techniques for understanding and approaching an |
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individual's behavioral symptoms; |
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(4) specific aspects of safety, including wandering by |
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an individual; |
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(5) abuse, neglect, and exploitation, as defined by |
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Section 48.002, of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or |
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dementia, including: |
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(A) identifying the most common types of abuse; |
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(B) recognizing signs of abuse, neglect, and |
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exploitation; and |
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(C) identifying when it is necessary to contact a |
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law enforcement agency about potential criminal behavior toward an |
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individual with Alzheimer's disease or dementia that is committed |
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by a family member or caretaker of the individual or that occurs in |
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an institution; |
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(6) identification of self-neglect by an individual |
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with Alzheimer's disease or dementia; and |
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(7) protocols for connecting an individual with |
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Alzheimer's disease or dementia to local care resources or |
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professionals who are skilled in dementia care to encourage |
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cross-referring the individual for services and increase reporting |
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of incidents of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. |
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(c) The division may use a training program developed or |
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adopted by the Health and Human Services Commission or the |
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Department of State Health Services if the program is equivalent to |
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or more extensive than the program requirements under Subsection |
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(b). |
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(d) If another state law or a federal law or regulation |
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requires training on Alzheimer's disease or dementia that is more |
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rigorous or extensive than the training required by Subsection (b), |
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the division shall provide training to adult protective services |
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employees that complies with that law or regulation. |
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(e) An area agency on aging must ensure that the agency's |
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employees or volunteers who provide services directly to an elderly |
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individual or the individual's family members or caregivers receive |
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training on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The training must: |
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(1) be evidence-based or evidence-informed; and |
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(2) focus on: |
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(A) recognizing the signs and symptoms of |
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cognitive impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease or dementia; |
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and |
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(B) understanding how the cognitive impairments |
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may affect the screening of and service planning for an elderly |
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individual. |
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(f) An area agency on aging may provide the training |
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described by Subsection (b) through: |
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(1) a course developed by the agency; or |
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(2) a course that is available from the department, |
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the Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of State |
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Health Services, or an entity that is involved in education or |
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services relating to Alzheimer's disease or dementia, including the |
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Alzheimer's Association and caregiver organizations. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Department of Family and Protective Services |
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shall: |
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(1) develop or approve the Alzheimer's disease and |
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dementia training program required by Section 40.036, Human |
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Resources Code, as added by this Act; and |
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(2) begin providing the initial training required by |
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that section to all existing and newly hired adult protective |
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services employees, as defined by that section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |