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BALTIMORE - The state
attorney general published an Alzheimer's report Monday that he hopes will
help improve the lives of the 85,000 people suffering from the disease in Attorney General J. Joseph
Curran said helping people with Alzheimer's negotiate an often confusing
system is crucial because thousands more will get the disease as the baby
boom generation ages. "We're urging people
to plan for the huge costs, both human and financial, that are associated
with Alzheimer's, and to focus on what the state can do," Curran
said. The study, which Curran
said is believed to be the first of its kind from a state attorney
general, also examines the regulation of nursing homes, long-term care
insurance and Medicaid. Policy goals include protecting patients against
abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation and improving state-regulated
facilities. Curran said it's important
to make sure the elderly know they should plan for the possibility of
getting Alzheimer's. "People must
understand that they should designate a loved one ... to make decisions
for them if they suffer from this disease and can't give their consent on
important issues," he said. The 115-page "Policy
Study on Alzheimer's Disease Care" also covers health care decision
making, including guardianship and participation in medical research. Donna DeLeno, advocacy
representative for the AARP in "Trying to protect
this very vulnerable population should be a priority," DeLeno said. The report also talks
about the need to support disease research while protecting vulnerable
research participants. "We have people who
can't give informed consent about whether they want to be the subject of
research," Curran said. "What can we do about that?" Curran said other
questions concerning the disease beg for policy guidance. There's a clear
difference, for example, in the driving ability of someone who's just been
diagnosed with the disease and of someone with advanced Alzheimer's. "You'd like to be
able to give someone with early Alzheimer's a driver's license,"
Curran said. "But where do we draw the line for when a person is able
to drive?" The report's
recommendations for the Legislature include putting a warning notice on
preprinted, durable power of attorney forms. Ruth Fahrmeier, an
attorney and board member of the Maryland Alzheimer's Association whose
mother had Alzheimer's, said the report would help both the sick person
and their loved ones better navigate an often baffling system. "So much of the legal and the public policy system doesn't really make it easy for families and caretakers who are working with a family member with dementia to get all the things done they need to get done," Fahrmeier said. Copyright © 2002
Global Action on Aging |
