Emergency medical services workers will be required to undergo training on caring and treating individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias under a new bill passed by the Illinois Legislature.
House Bill 4388, awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) signature, requires emergency medical technicians and paramedics to include an hour of education on recognizing symptoms, caring for, treating and communicating with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The requirements can be part of existing training requirements and apply to license renewals occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2023.
LeadingAge Illinois President and CEO Angela Schnepf said that situations in which anyone needs emergency medical assistance can be stressful, and a situation is even more challenging for both a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, as well as those trying to provide emergency care to the individual.
“This education requirement could help alleviate some of that stress and improve the care given to those with Alzheimer’s or dementia,” Schnepf told McKnight’s Senior Living. “Those serving in long-term care already undergo extensive training in dementia care, but once emergency medical assistance is needed, they are limited in how they can assist those personnel serving the resident.”
Matt Hartman, executive director of the Illinois Health Care Association / Illinois Center for Assisted Living, said that his organization was involved in similar past education initiatives for assisted living and skilled nursing workers. Any additional training that meets the needs of residents and results in better resident outcomes is beneficial, he added.
“I think the expansion into other settings is a net positive for providers,” Hartman told McKnight’s Senior Living. “Having someone with the capability to identify the issues that these individuals have, and to help to stabilize them and put them in the best place in those transitional moments that occur when an EMT or ambulance provider is caring for them, helps with quality of care and helps with those transitions.”
The bill was an initiative of the Illinois chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Some senior living providers have taken it upon themselves to educate emergency personnel on techniques to communicate with people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
As McKnight’s Senior Living previously reported, Edgewood Retirement Community in North Andover, MA, extended dementia training for staff and family members to first responders. The continuing care retirement community hosts training sessions aligned with recertification requirements for those first responders.
