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The Oklahoma Thunder claimed their second straight minor league World Championship in the World Bowl III August 29th, 2009 at Lafortune Park in Tulsa. They defeated the Dallas Diesel 43-12. Ricky Rimpley, a 2004 CHS graduate, recorded 14 tackles for the Thunder this season. The Thunder had defeated the Austin Gamebreakers 101-6 the week before in the playoffs.

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Tonda L. Ames, APR, MS/ Vice President of Marketing and Programs/ Alzheimer's Association Oklahoma and Arkansas Chapter/ 6465 S. Yale, Suite 312/ Tulsa, OK, 74136/ 918-481-7782

Oklahoma and Arkansas Chapter
24 Hour Helpline 1-800-272-3900

For Immediate Release

September 1, 2009

Statewide Alzheimer’s Task Force Releases Final Report
Recommendations Focus on Quality of Care, Increased Support

There are many health care issues facing the baby boomer generation, but none more urgent than Alzheimer’s disease. By 2010, approximately 74,000 Oklahomans will have Alzheimer’s disease and is expected to increase by 30% over the next 15 years. Whether they are the person with the disease or a caregiver, the demands of the disease are expensive and, oftentimes, overwhelming.

On April 29, 2008, Governor Brad Henry signed Senate Bill 2186 establishing the Task Force on the Effect of Alzheimer’s disease in Oklahoma to “assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease; examine the existing industries, services and resources addressing the needs of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease, their families and caregivers; and to develop a strategy to mobilize a state response to this public health crisis.”

“In the last decade, Oklahoma has experienced a 19% increase of people with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia and this escalating epidemic will increase significantly over the next 20 years,” said Task Force member Mark Fried, executive vice president of the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma and Arkansas Chapter. “The statistical trends reveal that Alzheimer’s disease is the public health threat of the 21st century.”

Since December, the task force has examined the current resources available in the state to address its various challenges. In its final report, the task force provides 23 recommendations designed to improve how Oklahomans are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

The report addresses three main areas in a problem-oriented approach: promote standards of care; identify and promote support services; and, create a formal system for recording statistics. The complete list of recommendations include the following:

· Establish and fund a statewide information and referral system for Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers and their families to connect with local case management, support services and information.

· Medical and direct care staff at any nursing home, assisted living facility, adult day center, skilled nursing facility, home health agency of hospice agency that is licensed by the state or receiving state funding should be required by law to complete four hours of in-service training per year in Alzheimer’s and dementia related care.

· Provide enhanced funding to compensate facilities that expend dollars for staff education related to Alzheimer’s care.

· Create culturally competent public service announcements to raise the level of public education about brain health and the warning signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia, some of which should specifically target populations with disproportionately higher rates of these diseases.

· Require that the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and related dementias be made an essential competency in state medical schools by 2012, while also providing incentives to physicians to complete dementia-specific modules in the re-licensing process.

· Create a student loan forgiveness program for medical school students who specialize in geriatrics and practice in the state of Oklahoma.

· Implement an automatic reminder on Electronic Medical Records requiring physicians’ offices to provide referral of diagnosed patients to the Alzheimer’s Association upon diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

· Revise Disclosure Form 613 with the Oklahoma Department of Health to include specific information that qualifies the facility as a specialized care facility. Facilities should not be allowed to advertise an Alzheimer’s unit until the disclosure form has been approved designating their unit as such. The form must specify minimum standards a facility must maintain to be designated as an Alzheimer’s care unit.

· Dedicate a funding source for all future long-term care services.

· Increase the daily reimbursement rate for funding for Adult Day Center services, as well as increase the number of locations across the state.

“The task force’s recommendations were designed with the caregiver and the person with the disease in mind,” Fried said. “Governor Henry and the state legislature’s willingness to call for this task force was an important first step. The final report assesses the impact of the disease on our state, examines the existing resources for those living with the disease, their caregivers and families, and develops a strategy to mobilize a state response to the inevitable public health crisis. This plan will help the legislature identify effective strategies for how the state can face Alzheimer's.

“The Alzheimer's Association applauds the task force members for their commitment to raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease among their colleagues,” said Fried. “The task force has been unwavering in its commitment to encourage and foster open discussion about public policy solutions to help meet the long-term care needs of people living with Alzheimer's, and to increase awareness of the disease and its impact on families, the health care system, the government and society.”

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The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest voluntary health organization in the country with the dual mission of conquering Alzheimer’s disease through research and enhancing care and support for people with the disease, their families, and caregivers. The Association provides a 24-hour Helpline (1-800-272-3900), support groups, education programs, care consultation, information and referral, Safe Return (a national program to help find people with dementia who become lost). For more information about Alzheimer’s disease visit www.alz.org.