By Greg Giordano
Senator Mike Fasano and a few other like-minded legislators have filed an amicus brief on behalf of Progress Energy customers. The amicus brief (friend of the court) was prompted, in part, by a recent announcement by the utility that it is seeking permission from the

Florida Public Service Commission to double its advance nuclear cost recovery fee.

In its statement Progress Energy detailed its collection of advance nuclear cost recovery dollars as well as its long-term plans regarding the future construction of the Levy County nuclear power plant. Progress Energy has asked for an overall advance nuclear cost recovery increase to $5.09 per 1,000 kilowatt-hour up from its current $2.86 per 1,000 kilowatt hour for the construction of a yet-to-be-built nuclear plant in Levy County and the repair of the long-broken Crystal River power plant.

“Progress Energy wants to nearly double its collection of advance nuclear cost recovery dollars for two plants that are not even online,” Senator Fasano states. “Crystal River has been down since Progress Energy bungled its repair in 2009. Levy County is not even built and, according to the utility’s statement, the plant won’t be online for at least another dozen years at the earliest.”

In its statement Progress Energy details that it is pushing back Levy County’s first unit going online to 2024. Additionally, Progress Energy estimates that the cost to complete the Levy plant will range between $19 and $24 billion dollars.

“Since the nuclear cost recovery concept was first sold to the Florida legislature, the cost for Levy has increased fivefold,” Senator Fasano remarks. “If lawmakers knew then what they know now I doubt very many would have supported the creation of this exorbitant fee.”

Senator Fasano believes that it is inherently unfair for utilities to shift the risk to their customers to front the costs of massive and expensive construction projects that are not even guaranteed to be completed.

“These dicey investments should be the responsibility of utility shareholders and their investment partners who profit from them, not the average ratepayer who is already struggling to pay their monthly utility bill or keep their business afloat,” Senator Fasano comments. “In Florida, allowing utilities to recover the costs of a new nuclear power plant before the plant is even placed in service is unfair to consumers and is bad public policy.”

“As a member of the Senate Communications, Energy & Public Utilities Committee I asked for the committee to call Progress Energy to testify about the advance nuclear cost recovery but leadership demurred,” Senator Fasano continues. “If the legislature is not going to take the lead, I call upon the members of the Public Service Commission to step up to the plate and put an end to this blatant legalized robbery of Progress Energy customers. Unless and until Crystal River is back online, and Levy County has been built, there should be no further collection of nuclear cost recovery charges.”

Senator Fasano has repeatedly attempted to repeal the statute that authorizes the collection of the fee but has received little support from his fellow lawmakers. Senator Fasano will continue to push for the end of the fee through whatever venue possible. For now, the Public Service Commission is the arena in which the battle will be fought.

By Jim Crochet
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

May is a time to honor elders in our communities as we recognize Older Americans Month. The Ombudsman Program is committed to serving Florida’s seniors. I am honored to share with you some accomplishments which took place under my leadership.

On May 2, 2011 I began as the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. In the span of one year, this program underwent a major paradigm shift from a regulatory focus toward a collaborative resident-centered advocacy focus. Last May we had 242 volunteers. Currently, we have over 300. Following the creation of a recruitment manager position and the development of partnerships with several Florida universities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate as ombudsmen as part of their internships, I expect our volunteer numbers to continue to increase.

As a way to adapt to a volunteer’s available time and schedule, we developed the first comprehensive online ombudsman certification training in the nation. I presented an overview of the training at the April 2012 National Association of State Ombudsman Programs Conference. There was such widespread interest that I agreed to work with the National Ombudsman Resource Center to share the training nationwide.

I want to extend my appreciation to the staff and volunteers of this program who made these accomplishments possible. First and foremost, their focus is the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents living in Florida long-term care settings. May we continue to honor and serve older Americans every day.

If you would like to join us to better the lives of long-term care residents, contact 1-888-831-0404 or visit ombudsman.myflorida.com to find out how you can volunteer. Bilingual Spanish and English speaking volunteers are needed!

www.ombudsman.myflorida.com

By Jim Crochet, State Ombudsman

To celebrate National Volunteer Week, I want to recognize the group of nearly 300 volunteer ombudsmen who give so much of their time and energy advocating for over 160,000 Floridians living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family-care homes.

Residents in long-term care facilities represent our friends and family members who often need an extra voice to ensure that their right to age with dignity, choice and autonomy is respected.

Volunteer ombudsmen of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program seek to protect the health, safety, welfare and rights of Florida’s most vulnerable population. During this week when we celebrate the work of all volunteers, the Ombudsman Program would like to specifically honor the accomplishments of our committed volunteers.

Last year, volunteer ombudsmen traveled a total of 365,412 miles across Florida’s 67 counties and gave over 70,000 service hours to meet with residents, conduct annual facility assessments, train facility staff and residents and investigate complaints, attempting to resolve any complaints to the residents’ satisfaction. Nine district-wide resident council meetings were hosted around the state by ombudsmen volunteers and staff, where residents from multiple area facilities gathered with their caregivers and family members to discuss issues, share ideas and encourage residents to understand and advocate for their rights.

The Ombudsman Program is proud to boast in the work of its dedicated and passionate volunteers and we are always looking for more individuals to join our team. If you would like to work with us to better the lives of long-term care facility residents contact 1-888-831-0404 or visit ombudsman.myflorida.com to find out how you can volunteer.

Jim Crochet
State Ombudsman
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
(850) 414-2327
www.ombudsman.myflorida.com

Guest Commentary by
Dr. George Arcos, D.O.
Pain Institution of North Florida
georgea@pinf.us

For Chronic Pain Sufferers, Relief is Simpler Than You Think

Spring is in full swing and Floridians are spending more time outdoors, but many times the increase in outdoor activity causes painful allergy symptoms and various aches and pains.

For many of our neighbors, pain isn’t something that comes and goes with the seasons. It’s a daily fact of life, one that makes each day a difficult ordeal to be endured, rather than enjoyed. The thing is, there are now enough options available that it doesn’t have to stay this way.

I started out in medicine as an anesthesiologist. From a role making sure patients didn’t feel any pain, I quickly became interested in why they felt pain. I soon moved into osteopathic medicine, where I could focus on preventive health care and a “whole person” approach to medicine. Osteopathic physicians are trained to address not just the specific source of a patient’s pain – a sinus infection, for example, or a broken bone – but also to recognize the ways that an illness or injury in one part of your body can affect and cause pain in another.

Chronic pain is our nation’s third most prevalent health problem, costing our society $75 billion a year in medical treatment and lost wages alone. Clearly, we all have a stake in this enormous problem.

In the past, chronic pain was the most under-treated health problem in our nation. This is because pain has always been regarded as a symptom of a disease or ailment rather than understood as a unique condition itself. Today it is widely accepted that chronic pain isn’t just discomfort that has lasted a long time, but instead is part of a more complex syndrome that can also lead to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, low self-esteem and anger.

Medicine is changing so quickly these days that it can be hard for most people to keep up. For example, a herniated disc in your back used to mean invasive surgery and weeks or even months of recovery and therapy. But for some patients it can now mean an outpatient procedure and nothing more than a small bandage on their back. Other seemingly miraculous medical advances are happening all the time, so it’s no wonder most people are unfamiliar with options that don’t necessarily mean invasive surgery.

The good news in all of this is that patients have many different options to relive chronic pain, and doctors will often combine therapies to treat chronic pain. The goals of treatment are to improve function and reduce chronic pain. For some patients, exercise is recommended to control pain; however, exercise may cause some patients to initially feel more pain. So medication can be used to treat chronic pain, as well as such non-traditional approaches as acupuncture and injection therapy such as cortisone injections or electrical field therapies.

For some people who experience chronic pain, the regular family doctor may find the best solution. For others, it may be an osteopathic physician whose whole-body approach brings relief. The important thing to remember this spring and year-round, is that chronic pain is something you don’t have to suffer through in silence. There are plenty of options out there, and you should keep looking until you find the right one for you.

Dr. George J. Arcos, D.O., F.A.O.C.A., is a board certified osteopathic physician and founder of the Pain Institute of North Florida. The Institute offers a range of services to treat chronic pain and provide wellness to patients through a holistic approach. Learn more about the Pain Institute of North Florida at www.paininstituteofnorthflorida.com.

By Greg Giordano

The Florida Legislature did not pass as many bills this year as it has in the past, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. However, one of the issues that it did send to the governor was a rewrite of a law that impacts everyone who drives a car: Personal Injury Protection. This portion of a driver’s automobile insurance policy, commonly known as PIP, falls under Florida’s Vehicle No-Fault Law. Under current law it provides $10,000 in medical benefits for those injured in a car accident. Legislation that is now heading to the governor’s desk changes many aspects in which those benefits can be used.

PIP reform tends to be a controversial subject to tackle. In 2001 PIP was reformed in response to a grand jury report that stated that fraud was extensive. PIP was reformed again in 2003 with strengthened penalties for PIP fraud and increased regulation of clinics that provide medical care for PIP recipients. Included in that year’s reform package was a provision setting the expiration of the No-Fault Law on October 1, 2006. In 2006 the Florida Legislature passed a bill during its regular spring session to extend the No-Fault Law but it was vetoed by the governor. After No-Fault expired the Legislature met in special session in 2007 and reenacted No-Fault as of January 1, 2008.

In the waning hours of the final day of this year’s session, HB 119 sponsored by Representative Jim Boyd of Bradenton (companion to SB 1860 by Senator Joe Negron of Palm City) returned to the Senate for final consideration and passed with a vote of 22-17 (Senator Mike Fasano voted against the measure because the bill was very pro-insurance industry). Its final vote in the House was 80-34.

The main purpose of the bill is to reduce fraud and change the environment in which “staged accidents” become profitable. “Staged accidents” are criminal acts under which fake auto accidents occur so that those in on the fraud can bill for benefits under PIP coverage. The governor had previously stated if the legislature did not act during the regular legislative session he would call lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special session to address PIP issues.

Reforms have very “real life” impacts on those who provide care to people injured in accidents. 2012’s legislation limits or changes coverage for services provided by chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists and attorneys. The legislation requires that someone injured in an accident must seek treatment within 14 days. The full $10,000 PIP benefit is only available if a physician, osteopathic physician, dentist, physician’s assistant, or ARNP determines the insured has an “emergency medical condition.” Otherwise the PIP benefit is limited to $2,500. The bill also creates a new $5,000 death benefit under PIP. Current law states that the death benefit must come out of the existing $10,000 benefit.

“The end result was an extremely insurance industry friendly bill leaning far, far away from being the best for the citizens of Florida whom our legislators represent,” Pinellas County-based chiropractor Ken Peluso commented in a New Port Richey Patch post to this writer. “I know for a fact that the patients that I see in my office will be severely negatively impacted by our now current law.”

If the bill becomes law it will allow insurance companies 60 additional days (90 days total) to investigate suspected fraudulent claims. To discourage the insurer from holding up claims without cause the bill requires the insurance company to pay interest on those claims. Health care practitioners found guilty of insurance fraud will lose his or her license for 5 years and may not receive PIP reimbursement for 10 years.

The legislation requires a beneficiary to comply with policy terms including the submission of an examination under oath. Those who make claims must comply with this provision or else they will not receive benefits.

The bill creates a non-profit direct support organization that can accept private donations for the purposes of preventing, investigating, and prosecuting motor vehicle insurance fraud. This organization is to be called the Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force. The proposed law prohibits Florida’s Chief Financial Officer’s PIP Fraud Task Force from using funds for advertising when using the likeness or name of any elected official.

Cost savings mandated by the legislation will be achieved in this fashion. By October1, 2012, insurance companies are required to submit a rate filing to the Office of Insurance Regulation that requests at least a 10% rate reduction for PIP coverage. If the company does not it must document the reasons for its failure to reduce rates by that amount. A second rate filing must be made by January 1, 2014 at which time it must reduce rates by at least 25%. If a company is unable to do so it must document its reasons why not.

“My constituents expressed many concerns with this legislation,” Senator Fasano stated. “Earlier in the week the Florida Senate passed a good package that was summarily rejected by the Housie. In my opinion much more needs to be done to make PIP reforms truly consumer –friendly.”

The governor will have 15 days to either sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without his signature once it has been delivered to him.

By Damon Dennis

In the fiasco surrounding the fate of University of South Florida Polytechnic, the students of this campus have neither been heard nor consulted on the issue. The fact that the students have been consistently ignored by all but a few legislators and administrators demonstrates that the move toward separation is not about the public interest.

Senator J.D. Alexander claims that among his reasons for pushing for an immediate separation of USF Polytechnic from USF is because of the current leadership here at Polytechnic. However, if there was one person that all of the students could agree had their best interests in mind it would be Regional Chancellor David Touchton. The students are proud to have him standing up for USF Polytechnic and are glad that Marshall Goodman was removed late last year.
While attending the Senate meeting on February 23 rd the students around me were visibly shaking with anger as Senator Alexander and Senator Evelyn Lynn showed absolutely zero respect for the students and people of the USF Polytechnic community. The busloads of students that attended the Senate Budget Committee meeting and the Senate vote on SB 1994 were not there simply over budget cuts. We were primarily there to defend USF Polytechnic against a cynical ploy by individually powerful politicians to implement their agenda at any cost.

During the hearing, Senator Jim Norman stated that USF President Judy Genshaft was cooperative. He further explained this by telling us that President Genshaft asked him to vote for a “compromise” bill reducing budget cuts in return for ceasing resistance to the separation plan. This unexpected statement left students feeling betrayed. We have yet to hear a straight answer explaining why President Genshaft supports this legislation. Senator Norman has been regarded as a hero of sorts for USF, but at USF Polytechnic his name leaves a bitter taste.

It should be clear to everyone by now that those excessive cuts were created only to pressure USF into doing what Senator Alexander demanded. Senator Alexander often compares this to a divorce. In a sense he is right, he gets the house and USF gets some of the money back. Sadly though, custody won’t be decided until after the bill is signed into law. More accurately, this is a hostage situation with USF’s budget as the hostage.

The question still remains as to why students were never brought into the discussion. Senators Alexander and Lynn have not even bothered to stop by our campus to explain to students how any of this is justified or in everyone’s best interests. The only thing that the students, staff, and faculty know about this is that it has the potential to turn our lives upside down.

We are told that it is possible for students to finish out their degrees here in Lakeland, but in a different location. However, no such location has been allocated or accounted for. It seems that if there is any displacement from this legislation then the students, staff, and faculty will become educational refugees with minimal thought for their wellbeing.

If the Legislature passes the separation plan, we hope Governor Scott vetoes it as soon as it hits his desk. Not only will it further burden the State University System financially, but signing this into law undermines the authority given to the Board of Governors by the Florida Constitution. A dangerous precedent like this could lead the state down a slippery slope that allows more legislation to cater to the individual whims and desires of Florida’s politicians.

Students are distraught over the fact that they are being rudely disregarded and forced to be collateral damage in this game of personal agendas. However, this will not stop us from doing everything we can to save our school, education, and future.

Damon Dennis is the president of Student Government at USF Polytechnic

By Greg Giordano

Legislation is currently working its way through the Florida Legislature that will limit what perpetrators of heinous crimes can receive from their victims. The legislation filed by Senator Mike Fasano and Representative Richard Steinberg is modeled after a bill that passed in New Jersey in 2009. The bill seeks to plug holes in Florida’s existing “barring the killer receiving benefits” doctrine in current state law. The bill does so by expanding the doctrine in many ways.

“Florida should not allow criminals to benefit from those they have harmed,” Senator Fasano states. “This legislation ensures that criminals cannot take advantage of our legal system to benefit themselves after a crime has been committed.”

The expansion includes prohibiting a person from receiving alimony if that individual was convicted of certain crimes (i.e. first or second degree murder, manslaughter, DUI manslaughter) against a divorcing spouse, or a family member of the divorcing spouse, if the crime results in death, serious injury to the victim or creates a substantial risk of death. The bill defines family member as spouse, child, parent or sibling.

Additionally, the bill prohibits a person from receiving an equitable distribution of marital assets in a divorce proceeding if the individual was convicted of an offense involving an attempt to murder or conspiracy to murder the divorcing spouse.

The legislation also provides that a parent who criminally abused, abandoned, neglected or sexually abused his/her minor child loses the right to the intestate succession of any or all of the child’s estate. There is a provision that allows a court to determine if the parent/child relationship has been restored.

“A parent who seriously harms an innocent child should not be allowed to collect any money from that child’s estate,” said Representative Steinberg. “This legislation will help keep money out of the hands of criminals who should not be receiving it. I hope that my colleagues in the Legislature will join me in passing this important legislation.”

With the legislative session entering its seventh week, with only two more to go, the bills are now in their final committees of reference as both chambers enter the home stretch.

By Bentley Lipscomb

Vaccinations are truly one of the health care industry’s greatest success stories. Immunizations are credited with preventing an estimated 14 million cases of disease and avoiding 33,000 deaths a year.

Access to vaccines, especially for at-risk populations, should be embraced as a national imperative. That’s why Florida’s senior population should pay close attention to two impending policy decisions that will decide if access to life-saving vaccinations is expanded or blocked.

Both decisions – one at the state level, one at the federal level – will impact access to vaccines that combat pneumonia.   Here in Florida, about three million cases of pneumonia are reported each year, with fully a third afflicting people over age 65. Yet, shockingly, Florida ranks near the very bottom when it comes to vaccinating seniors against pneumonia, with nearly 38% of those 65 and older remaining unvaccinated.

Florida can significantly improve that picture if the Florida Legislature adopts HB 509/SB 850, allowing pharmacists to administer vaccines for pneumonia and shingles.  Currently, pharmacists in 45 states are permitted to administer the pneumonia vaccine, but, in Florida, the only vaccine pharmacists can offer is the influenza vaccine.

In the five years since qualified Florida pharmacists have been authorized to administer influenza immunizations, the program has been an unqualified success. Influenza immunization rates are up, hospitalizations for flu are down and not a single adverse incident has been reported.

The availability of the pneumonia vaccine at pharmacies, which are located on nearly every major street corner, is a boon to access, since the average Floridian visits a pharmacy at least once a month. Given that vaccinations in pharmacies are available on demand and don’t require a scheduled appointment, Florida’s pneumonia vaccination rate is sure to rise if this legislation passes.

While the prospects for that legislation look promising, another pending policy decision that could turn the tide on pneumonia deaths among seniors appears to be in peril.

On Dec. 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an important new cutting-edge biologic vaccine to prevent pneumonia, Prevnar 13, for people ages 50 and over under the agency’s accelerated approval pathway. This process allows earlier approval of treatments for serious and life-threatening illnesses.

The last step on the road to access is a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is normally a quick process.

Unfortunately, it seems it won’t be a quick or routine process in this case. While ACIP was originally slated to vote on a recommendation at its next meeting on Feb. 23 now it is scheduled only to discuss the issue. This creates a certain delay, since ACIP only meets three times a year. The rationale for the delay is unclear.

As Forbes recently reported, “Safety isn’t an issue; the clinical trials included 6,000 people ages 50 or older and the vaccine was found to be safe. Nor is efficacy an issue. The FDA declared:  ‘The studies showed that for the 12 common serotypes, Prevnar 13 induced antibody levels that were either comparable to or higher than the levels induced by Pneumovax 23 [an existing vaccine for this age group].’”

Without a recommendation from ACIP, the vaccine will not be available to a large number of Americans, since ACIP approval usually means that Medicare and Medicaid will pay for the vaccine, and private health insurance will follow suit.

Given that an estimated 300,000 adults 50 and over will be hospitalized with pneumonia this year, this delay is sure to be deadly.

Our lawmakers and policymakers need to embrace and expedite both of these policy positions, giving our seniors access to life-saving weapons in the fight against pneumonia.

Bentley Lipscomb is the former Secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and former state director of AARP Florida.

By Florida State Representative Scott Plakon

As a longtime fan and admirer of Rush Limbaugh, I was disappointed to hear his comments regarding the work of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee on which I am honored to serve. His suggestions that we “rigged” the maps to force Allen West out of Congress are simply ludicrous. I was there…it didn’t happen…I know. It is especially surprising to see Mr. Limbaugh join with the chorus of left wing groups that are attacking our work.

I can only presume that Mr. Limbaugh’s lack of knowledge of our process, laws and constitution would lead him to make such statements and would lead him to take these kind of cheap shots at Representative Will Weatherford and the work of our committee. Here are the facts:

The legislature did not target members of Congress, the House or Senate, that support the principles of the Tea Party movement. As a member of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee where the maps were first approved, I have firsthand knowledge of the process and can state this fact unequivocally.

Under the standards approved by a super majority of Florida voters, it is literally unconstitutional for the legislature to favor or disfavor Congressman West or any other incumbent when drawing new districts. It has been reported that 38 members of the Florida House are either drawn out of their district or are living in the same district as another incumbent. If we were “rigging” the results, we were certainly not very good at it. In fact, the House district that I currently hold has been eliminated. If this stands, I will likely have to run against another incumbent, move or leave the legislature…all rather unpleasant choices.

The proposed map which changes Congressman West’s district is the direct result of a constitutional amendment that I, and many other members, opposed and campaigned against. However, 63% of Florida voters spoke loudly and clearly last November when they voted “yes” to what was called the “Fair District” Amendments…Amendments 5 and 6. Representative Weatherford took an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida”. He is now duty-bound to uphold these amendments. Our maps clearly reflect this.

We conducted 26 meetings across the state where thousands of citizens had the opportunity to attend and testify. It is obvious that we have put forth the most open and transparent redistricting process in the history of our state. In one of our committee meetings, I asserted that it is likely the most open and transparent process of any state in the history of the United States. No one disagreed.
By drawing districts that comply with the Florida Constitution as we clearly have done, we ensure that the unelected members of the State Supreme Court will not be able to take over the process and draw their own maps behind closed doors and out of the sight of the public.

I was the only Florida legislator to endorse Herman Cain (when he was at 5% in the polls) before September 24th, the day he won Presidency 5 and started his climb in the polls. Last week I endorsed Rick Santorum. I’ve filed and/or passed the Health Care Freedom Amendment, the red-light camera repeal, the cap and trade repeal, etc., etc. I don’t think that I’ve ever been accused of being an “establishment Republican”!

But when someone of the character, integrity, impeccable reputation and conservative values of Representative Weatherford is accused like this based on unproven speculation and conspiracy theories, I feel that I need to say something…even if it is Rush Limbaugh making those accusations.

I’ve read that Congressman West will still run for Congress, and I firmly hope and believe that he will be elected by Florida voters. He is a hero to our country and our cause.

It goes to show you that even America’s Anchorman, Truth Detector and Doctor of Democracy who is at the cutting edge of societal evolution that can beat the liberals with half his brain tied behind his back can actually get one wrong.

I guess there is a first time for everything.

By Greg Giordano

Senator Mike Fasano’s SB 694,which establishes standards of care for adult day care centers, passed the Senate Health Regulation Committee on January 25th. This is the second of three committee stops in the Senate. It has one more committee hearing remaining before it will be ready for a floor hearing. The House companion, sponsored by Representative Richard Corcoran, is moving forward in that chamber as well.

The legislation is a “truth in advertising” bill that will mandate any facility that markets itself as a daycare facility that offers specialized care to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related disorders meets certain standards of staffing, staff training and other criteria for patient care. It does not mandate all daycare centers to seek this accreditation if they do not put themselves out as providers for this unique population.

“These standards will ensure that individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders receive dignified and appropriate care, support and intervention,” Senator Fasano states. “By enabling them to remain in their homes and the community they feel comfortable in, premature and potentially costly institutionalization will be avoided. Most importantly they will be able to stay a home longer.”

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs estimates that there are over 523,000 Floridians with probable Alzheimer’s, and projects that there will be a 64% increase in the number of Floridians suffering with Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. Additionally, as a 2010 MetLife National Study of Adult Day Services study reports, 47% of participants in adult day care centers across the country suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

“With our elder population being the second largest economic engine in the state we owe this acknowledgement of need and commitment to provide appropriate care to all Florida citizens affected by Alzheimer’s disease,” Senator Fasano states. “In addition, Florida acknowledged the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the safety and security of its citizens with the establishment of Florida’s Silver Alert by Executive Order in October, 2008 and codified into law in 2011.”

With the spotlight turning on the needs of this vulnerable population, family members and friends of those stricken by a dementia-related disorder are seeking caring facilities that are properly certified to meet the unique needs of the individual. The designation “Adult Day Care-Specialized Alzheimer’s’ Services” will help them choose the proper place to enroll their loved one.

With the passage of this legislation, Florida has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to establish a specialty license for adult day care centers providing specialized services to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. A state with such a large population of seniors and others with dementia-related disorders should lead the way and hopefully become a model for other states to follow.

The legislative session continues until early March.

Ron Radcliffe contributed to this report.