SB603: Bill Text

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2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Senate BILL 603

November 27, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Larson and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Brostoff, Emerson, Sinicki, Vruwink, Bowen, Subeck and C. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations.

SB603,1,2 An Act to create 50.067 of the statutes; relating to: Alzheimer's and dementia training for direct care and support services workers.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the following training to be completed by employees or contractors of adult family homes, community-based residential facilities, home health agencies, nursing homes, or residential care apartment complexes who provide care or support services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia: 1) at least six hours of initial training on dementia; and 2) at least two hours of advanced training on dementia to be completed during every two years after the initial training.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB603,1 Section 1. 50.067 of the statutes is created to read:

SB603,1,5 50.067 Required training; Alzheimer's and dementia. (1) Definitions. In this section:

SB603,2,3 (a) “Entity” means an adult family home, a community-based residential facility, a home health agency, a nursing home, or a residential care apartment complex.

SB603,2,4 (b) “Entity worker” means all of the following:

SB603,2,6 1. An employee or contractor of an entity who provides care for and has regular contact with a client of an entity who has Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

SB603,2,9 2. An employee or contractor of an entity who provides support services to and has regular contact with a client of an entity who has Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

SB603,2,17 (c) “Initial training” means training on the causes, progression, and management of Alzheimer's disease and other related dementia disorders, understanding dementia, effectively communicating with individuals with dementia, assisting individuals with dementia in performing activities of daily living, problem solving with individuals with dementia who exhibit challenging behavior, techniques for creating an environment that minimizes challenging behavior, fundamentals of dementia care, dysphagia, safe environments, and managing the activities of individuals with dementia.

SB603,2,21 (2) Alzheimer's and dementia training. (a) Initial requirement. A person shall complete at least 6 hours of initial training before the person first begins as an entity worker to provide care or support services or have regular contact with a client who has Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

SB603,2,25 (b) Ongoing requirement. An entity worker shall complete at least 2 hours of advanced training on caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias during the 2-year period following the time the entity worker completes training under par. (a) and during every 2-year period thereafter.

SB603,2 Section 2. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB603,3,7 (1) Current direct care and support service workers. Notwithstanding s. 50.067 (2) (a), a person who as an entity worker, as defined in s. 50.067 (1) (b), provides care or support services or has regular contact with a client who has Alzheimer's disease or dementia on the effective date of this subsection, shall complete at least 6 hours of initial training, as defined in s. 50.067 (1) (c), within 12 months after the effective date of this subsection.

SB603,3,8 (End)