Coverage of aging is supported in part by AARP Arizona
A bill that would set training standards for staff who work at facilities that offer memory care services in Arizona could soon be signed into law.
The bill passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support on Thursday. It now goes to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
"The passage of this bill is significant because it will improve the quality of care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia in assisted living facilities and will probably improve morale, too, because folks will have the information that they need," said Tory Roberg with the Alzheimer's Association in Phoenix.
"Dementia is a complicated disease. And in order to give quality care to folks, we have to make sure that the caregivers and the managers have the tools that they need to meet the special needs of people living with Alzheimer's and dementia," Roberg said.
The bill also increases the cap on civil penalties that a facility might incur from $500 to $1,000 per resident per violation, if they run afoul of state laws protecting its patients and caregivers.
