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Committee approves bill to require dementia‑level standards for facilities using “memory care” label
Summary
House Bill 1472 passed the committee 6-0 to require that facilities advertising "memory care" meet the same standards as those licensed for Alzheimer's and dementia care, after the sponsor said some operators were using the label to avoid regulations.
Representative Blansett told the committee House Bill 1472 would ensure facilities offering “memory care” meet the same staffing and facility standards required under the Alzheimer's and dementia care law.
Blansett said the Alzheimer’s and dementia care act established regulations — including staffing ratios and equipment standards — intended to protect residents, but some facilities were marketing services as "memory care" to avoid those rules. "There are facilities across the state that are now utilizing the term memory care instead of Alzheimer's and dementia care to skirt the regulations that have been put in place to protect patients with dementia and Alzheimer's," Blansett said.
The sponsor said the bill is not intended to punish facilities that operate at high standards but to ensure consistent protections for residents. Committee members had no additional questions and moved the bill for a vote.
Staff reported the vote as 6 ayes and 0 nays; the chair declared the bill passed.
