Special Care Unit Disclosure

Requests in the 1997 Legislative Platform

The Alzheimer’s Association supports legislation that would require long-term care facilities that claim to have "special care units" -- for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients -- to provide the public with written information of the features that make the units special, and often more costly. The disclosure requirements should be enforced and monitored by the relevant licensing agencies.

Background:

The Commonwealth has experienced a rapid increase in long term care facilities offer "special care units" for those with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Such units cost more than ordinary care at either a nursing home or an adult care residence. But are they really special? To help family members make better placement decisions, the Alzheimer’s Association supports legislation that would require facilities claiming to provide special care in an enclosed unit to set out in printed material what specific additional features are offered. This "truth in advertising" would protect the consumer against fraud while providing a better method of comparison in choosing between facilities.

Residential long term care for a dementia patient differs from that required for a person with skilled nursing needs. Senate Bill 1033 would allow facilities the opportunity to inform families of features such as: wandering precautions, staff training and qualifications, and social activities. Though not setting standards for special care units, a disclosure law would level the playing field for providers and consumers both of whom must decide what is truly special about each unit.

For more information, please read the Issue Brief page and the Legislative Updates page.