Bolinsky Fights for more Alzheimer’s Services in State

HARTFORD- State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106, Newtown) spoke in strong support of and voted to raise a bill in the Aging committee to allow more state residents to participate in Alzheimer’s respite care program services.

The bill, SB-716, An Act Expanding Eligibility for the Alzheimer’s Disease Respite Care Program increases from $43,846 to $50,000, the annual income limit for participants in the Respite Care Program, which provides respite for caregivers who care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders. After a Joint Favorable vote in the Aging Committee, the measure now goes to the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, another committee on which  Rep. Bolinsky serves, before going to the State House or Senate.

Under the bill, the individual with Alzheimer’s or related diseases must (1) meet income and asset limits and (2) not be enrolled in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders. The asset limit is $116,567. Current income and asset limits are set by Department of Aging policy. The law requires the department to annually increase these limits to reflect social security cost of living adjustments.

“This is good legislation for our aging senior population. The Connecticut Statewide Respite Care Program saves the state money by helping individuals with Alzheimer’s disease remain at home, aging-in-place, by helping their caregivers continue to provide support, rather than being financially forced into less familiar, often less-loving institutional settings,” said Rep. Bolinsky, the lead House member of the legislature’s Aging committee.

Last year, the Connecticut Statewide Alzheimer’s Respite Program provided direct services for 713 Alzheimer’s patients. Services included nursing, home health aides, companions, Adult Day Centers and Meals on Wheels. Sometimes, a family caregiver was not available due to their own health concerns; in other cases, the family caregiver was able to step away to a child’s wedding or to complete a work assignment that could jeopardize the caregiver’s future employment. Almost 1,000 families received information, referrals and counseling to help them with the difficult job of family caregiving.