Missouri could add a state coordinator to help connect Alzheimer's patients and caregivers to resources in their communities.
A bill introduced Thursday in the House Health and Mental Health Committee would establish the full-time position to maintain and oversee Alzheimer’s and dementia services in Missouri.
Although there are volunteer organizations and private initiatives related to memory care, those testifying in favor of the measure said they’re not working together in an organized effort. The coordinator, they said, would be the bridge between the many resources and Missourians.
“This position would not only be one point person for folks to navigate, it would also allow other agencies to collaborate more effectively and identify gaps in coverage, where we can prioritize covering those gaps and also inevitable overlap more efficient and streamlined services that are already out there,” said Rachel Lesinski, advocacy manager for the Greater Missouri Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The coordinator role could especially help rural communities, according to Bob Marshall, a Southeast Missouri advocate for Alzheimer's awareness.
Marshall said a state coordinator could better connect rural residents to resources.
“The Alzheimer's group is wonderful, but they don’t know the demographics of the state that you’re in or the county. They don’t know that they can tell you, 'hey there’s a neurologist in St Louis,' might be three hours away,” Marshall said.
Marshall was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 55. When he and his wife moved from Florida to Missouri to be closer to family, it took them 23 months to get treatment from a doctor at Washington University. They drive three hours from Poplar Bluff to go to appointments in St. Louis.
“I don't think I realized I was going to go into a medical desert, so to speak,” Marshall said. “There's absolutely nothing in the rural areas of the state to help people.”
However, with a state budget crisis, it's unclear if there’s money for such a job.
Rep. Travis Wilson (R-Saint Charles), the bill's sponsor, said he wants to send it to the appropriations committee to put the position in the Department of Health and Senior Services and then later identify funding.
“I do believe there are actually multiple grant opportunities which could hopefully help solve the problem of actually getting the position funded for us,” Wilson said when asked about the path to funding.
Committee member Pattie Mansur (D-Kansas City) expressed concern that there are not enough resources right now for the position.
“I'm also concerned about the system within our state right now and the capacity to add additional full-time employees,” Mansur said. “I almost wish there was something we could do where we would distribute this kind of resource or some kind of support through the Area Agencies on Aging which are dispersed throughout the state.”
Memory condition coordinator roles have already been created in 29 states. Wilson said having the position would give families more opportunities for early detection, saving on treatment costs in the long run.
“If you have the dementia care coordinator office in place, which is helping to let family members know about the early detection, which I mentioned that therefore correlates to lower costs overall, because if they're able to treat them sooner rather than later, they can treat them for lower cost than sending them to the hospital,” said Wilson.
The coordinator would also support government agency training, identify duplicate services, and collect data on memory conditions.
A similar bill initially passed last year in the House and Senate but was dropped due to disagreements between the two chambers.
