Carbondale Reporter

With approximately 230,000 Illinois residents living with dementia, lawmakers recently emphasized addressing Alzheimer’s and providing better support for those who have it and the caregivers. 

State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) took to social media during Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter Week of Action to bring greater awareness of the situation in the state.

“Worldwide, 50 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” Fowler said in his Facebook video. “This week is dedicated to supporting the 230,000 Illinoisans living with dementia and the nearly 400,000 individuals who care for them.”

Fowler said that the cause hits close to home for him, as his mother had Alzheimer’s before her death.

“I can personally speak to the hardships those who have the disease face and the daily challenges patients and their caregivers confront,” he said. 

Fowler encouraged his constituents to learn more at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Illinois landing page.

“Thank you to our state legislators for raising Alzheimer's awareness and turning the Capitol purple this week!” the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Advocacy said in a Facebook post. “We are grateful to have so many #ENDALZ champions in Springfield as we work together to make Illinois a dementia-capable state.”

The Illinois Senate is also considering legislation supported by Alzheimer's Association Illinois Advocacy, according to the organization’s Facebook page. Senate Bill 677 amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and would add a mandatory, three-hour training to the requirements for all medical practitioners in the state.

According to the bill synopsis, the training would be required to cover “the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with cognitive impairments.” Those would include Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

While the training requirement would only be for medical professionals working with adults, it would be an annual requirement for retaining their license to practice.