ALZHEIMER'S AND RELATED DEMENTIA PROJECTS REPORT

Section 2 of Senate Bill No. 2034, a copy of which is attached as an appendix, requires the Department of Human Services to monitor the progress of the Alzheimer's and related dementia projects established under North Dakota Century Code Section 50-06-14.4. The department is to present a final progress report to the Legislative Council by June 30, 2000.

The 1997-98 interim Budget Committee on Long-Term Care, pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 3003, monitored the implementation of the projects developed by the Department of Human Services relating to the conversion of existing nursing facility or basic care capacity for use by the Alzheimer's and related dementia population.

Section 12 of 1997 House Bill No. 1012 directed the Department of Human Services to establish pilot projects for Alzheimer's and related dementia populations in order to explore the financial and service viability of converting existing long-term care facility bed capacity to a specific service environment targeting the Alzheimer's and related dementia populations. The pilot projects were part of an effort to examine how long-term care services are delivered in North Dakota and to make recommendations that will result in the elderly and disabled of the state receiving the most appropriate and cost-effective services necessary to meet their long-term care needs. During the biennium, the Department of Human Services established a 14-bed pilot project at the Baptist Home of Kenmare. The committee learned that the proposed budget of the pilot project provided for a cost of $79.37 per day for 1998 which was $6.04 per day less than the average nursing facility cost of $85.41 per day. The committee learned that the Good Samaritan Society is also planning to develop two pilot projects by converting nursing facility beds into Alzheimer's and related dementia population units at Lisbon and Arthur. These projects are estimated to be operational sometime in 1999 (to date, neither of these projects are underway). The committee recommended Senate Bill No. 2034 providing that the department monitor the progress of the Alzheimer's and related dementia projects and report to the Legislative Council. In addition, the committee accepted the Task Force on Long-Term Care Planning recommendations that:

1. The Department of Human Services allow other entities the opportunity to develop alternative residential services for Alzheimer's and related dementia populations or other populations that meet quality and financial standards established by the department.
2. The funding for these projects be provided from existing appropriations for the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver of the expanded service payments for elderly and disabled (SPED) program. The number of projects will be limited by the number of home and community-based services waiver slots approved by the federal government, the cost and neutrality requirement contained in the home and community-based services waiver, and the total appropriation for the expanded SPED program.

COMMITTEE ACTION PLAN

The committee may wish to carry out with this responsibility as follows:

1. Receive reports from the Department of Human Services on the status of these projects and the department's recommendation on the continuance of these projects.
2. Receive the final progress report on these projects from the Department of Human Services.
3. Receive testimony from interested persons regarding the report.
4. Consider making recommendations and draft legislation, if necessary, to implement any committee recommendations.

ATTACH:1