House Committee reviews Rep. Ingle's bill creating state dementia services role

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri House Committee on Health and Mental Health conducted a public hearing on House Bill 1335, which would establish a position within the Department of Health and Senior Services specifically to coordinate the state’s services to those suffering from dementia. State Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit, is the bill’s sponsor.

While the rates of deadly diseases such as breast cancer and prostate cancer have increased by less than 2 percent in the last 20 years, others like heart disease, stroke and HIV have seen declines since 2000. However, deaths due to Alzheimer’s Disease, which is considered the most common cause of dementia, have increased nearly 150 percent in the last 2 decades.

“This is an issue faced by one in ten people who are over the age of 45,” Ingle said. “We need to make this happen because our citizens don’t have an ‘expiration date’ when we no longer have a responsibility to make sure they’re safe and receiving the care they need.”

The bill received positive bipartisan feedback, as the policy is in parallel with policy recommendations offered by the 2022 Missouri Alzheimer’s State Plan Task Force in its final report.

That report cites the following duties which the occupant of the proposed state role would carry out:

Establish and maintain relationships with state agencies and community organizations in order to meet community needs and prevent duplication of services;
Increase awareness of and facilitate access to quality, coordinated care for people with dementia;
Help develop a roadmap of best practices to connect those in need to services;
Evaluate the implementation of the state recommendations in meeting goals as set by the State Task Force; and
Explore the logistics of a centrally located resource where individuals can access information across the continuum of care.

The bill is now positioned for the Health and Mental Health Committee to vote on it, which could advance it to the full House of Representatives for debate.