Bill 54 2013

An Act to establish the Alzheimer Advisory Council and develop a strategy for the research, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia

Preamble

Dementia is a syndrome that affects a person's ability to function, and includes loss of memory, impaired judgment and changes in mood and behaviour.  Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, which impairs thought processes and memory and may cause changes in abilities or behaviour.  Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in Canada.  In 2011, approximately 181,000 Ontarians were living with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementia, and within a decade this number is expected to increase by 50 per cent.  Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to positive health outcomes for persons with all forms of dementia and can have a positive impact on their informal caregivers.  Many risk factors related to dementia can be treated to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.  The physical, emotional and monetary costs of all forms of dementia must be addressed.

The Government of Ontario is committed to the health and safety of Ontarians and to increasing awareness, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

   1.  In this Act,

"Minister" means the member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act; ("ministre")

"regulations" means the regulations made under this Act. ("règlements")

Alzheimer Advisory Council

   2.  A council to be known in English as the Alzheimer Advisory Council and in French as Conseil consultatif de la maladie d'Alzheimer is established.

Purpose of Alzheimer Advisory Council

   3.  The Alzheimer Advisory Council shall consider the following matters related to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, and make recommendations to the Minister:

    1.  Public education and awareness to overcome the stigma related to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, foster supportive communities, facilitate early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and encourage brain-healthy lifestyles.

    2.  Access to community, respite care and home support services for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and their informal caregivers.

    3.  Integration of primary care medical services and community support services for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

    4.  Dementia specific training to strengthen skills of persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

    5.  Accessibility to specialized geriatric and psycho-geriatric services for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and their informal caregivers.

    6.  Interdisciplinary research and acceleration of treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

    7.  Innovation in assistive technology and housing.

    8.  Workplace policies and income supports for informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

    9.  Any other matter requested by the Minister.

Composition

   4.  (1)  The Alzheimer Advisory Council shall be composed of members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and shall include persons representative of,

  (a)  informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia;

  (b)  persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia; and

   (c)  persons from various cultural backgrounds.

Chair of the Alzheimer Advisory Council

   (2)  The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall appoint one member as the chair of the Alzheimer Advisory Council.

Yearly report

   (3)  The Alzheimer Advisory Council shall submit to the Minister a yearly report setting out the recommendations mentioned in section 3, within the time period and in the form and manner that the Minister specifies.

Tabling

   (4)  The Minister shall submit the Alzheimer Advisory Council's report to the Lieutenant Governor in Council and shall then table the report in the Assembly.

Ontario Health Quality Council, yearly report card

   5.  (1)  The Ontario Health Quality Council continued under subsection 10 (1) of the Excellent Care for All Act, 2010 shall submit a yearly report card, within the time period and in the form and manner that the Minister specifies, with respect to the Government's performance of its undertakings in section 7.

Tabling

   (2)  The Minister shall submit the Ontario Health Quality Council's report to the Lieutenant Governor in Council and shall then table the report in the Assembly.

Minister's responsibility

   6.  (1)  The Minister is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy respecting research, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, taking into consideration:

    1.  The recommendations set out in the yearly report of the Alzheimer Advisory Council.

    2.  The yearly report card submitted by the Ontario Health Quality Council.

    3.  Each yearly report on the state of the health system in Ontario made by the Ontario Health Quality Council.

Interim report

   (2)  The Minister shall publish a report on the progress of the development and implementation of the strategy in subsection (1) within one year after the day this Act comes into force.

Report on strategy

   (3)  The Minister shall publish a report setting out the strategy in subsection (1) and steps that will be taken to implement the strategy within two years after the day this Act comes into force.

Government undertaking

   7.  The Government of Ontario undertakes, as far as it considers it reasonable and appropriate to do so, to,

  (a)  increase awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia;

  (b)  facilitate the creation of training and professional development opportunities for health care workers in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia;

   (c)  develop partnerships across health care sectors to provide greater integration of care and increased use of chronic disease prevention and management;

  (d)  seek to improve access to community, respite care and home support services for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and their informal caregivers;

  (e)  seek to improve accessibility to specialized geriatric and psycho-geriatric services for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and their informal caregivers; and

    (f)  strengthen supports for informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

Commencement

   8.  This Act comes into force six months after the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

   9.  The short title of this Act is the Alzheimer Advisory Council Act, 2013.

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts the Alzheimer Advisory Council Act, 2013.

The Act establishes the Alzheimer Advisory Council for the purpose of considering matters related to informal caregivers and persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, and making recommendations to the Minister.  The Minister is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy respecting research, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.  The Minister is required to take into consideration the reports of the Alzheimer Advisory Council and the Ontario Health Quality Council to contribute to the development and implementation of the strategy.  The Act states the Government of Ontario's undertaking to address issues related to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.