Sen. Libby bill would improve quality of care in memory care facilities

Legislation from Sen. Nate Libby, D-Lewiston, to improve the quality of care provided to residents in memory care facilities was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.

LD 1548, “Resolve, To Promote Quality and Transparency in the Provision of Services by Assisted Housing Programs That Provide Memory Care,” is the product of Sen. Libby’s 2017 bill LD 804, which called for reduced staff-to-patient ratios in memory care facilities that serve patients suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments. The bill resulted in the Committee asking that an ad hoc group of experts, patients, providers and family members, self-titled the Memory Care Staffing Workgroup, meet to draft the language for LD 1548.

“The group worked with me to carefully craft this resolve’s language so that policymakers and regulators could get a better handle on staffing needs and safety concerns in an important sector of assisted housing programs,” said Sen. Libby. “When a family member is living in a memory care facility, people need to know that they’re being well cared for by staff.”

The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service to conduct a study to determine the amount of time staff at memory care facilities devote to meeting the needs of residents in assisted living facilities, with a focus on residents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

The last “time study” of residents in assisted living facilities was conducted was 1999. The Muskie School conducted that study. In the years since that study, the acuity of residents in assisted living facilities has increased.

Additionally, LD 1548 requires the Department to update rules governing the licensing and functioning of assisted living facilities, moving toward person-centered care. And finally, the bill requires the Department to convene a working group to review departmental rules governing training for direct care workers in Alzheimer’s or dementia care units in order to assess the adequacy of the training.

“I have immense respect for the caregivers working in memory care facilities. Most of them get little pay for the important work they do. They manage these residents on eight hours of Alzheimer’s training before they start working on a unit,” said Monique Gagne of Greene. “I feel if these facilities had better staff-to-resident ratios, more intense training, and more appealing incentives for those they hire, the residents would thrive.”

Brenda Gallant, the Maine Long-Term Care Ombudsman; the Maine Health Care Association; the Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter; Gary Currier, executive director of Avita in Brunswick; and other Mainers who have concerns about the care their family members received in memory care facilities also spoke in favor of LD 1548 at the public hearing. No one spoke against LD 1548.

The Health and Human Services Committee will take an initial vote on LD 1548 in the coming weeks.