Mass. legislators, providers push bills to expand dementia training, coordination and hospital protections

Representative Danielle Gregoire introduced legislation to update Massachusetts' Alzheimer's law and expand services, training and hospital safeguards.

The bills before the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs — principally House Bill 769 and Senate Bill 468 — would require dementia training for first responders, establish a dementia services coordinator at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, expand dementia care planning and care- coordination benefits in some MassHealth plans, require dementia-specific data collection and create a statewide public awareness campaign, proponents said.

The bills build on the 2018 Omnibus Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Act, which previously required training for some health professionals and hospital operational plans. "We're at the dawn of the new era in Alzheimer's treatment with FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies offering hope to millions," said Susan Koviak, vice president of…