Gordon-Booth Supports Bill Strengthening Dementia Training for Home Care Workers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, has passed legislation aimed at improving care for individuals living with dementia. The bill requires all service workers and affiliates of the Department of Human Services (DHS) to complete dementia training at the beginning of their employment.

“Our community is so lucky to have a robust and highly regarded healthcare system and workers,” said Gordon-Booth. “Ensuring our home healthcare workers are properly trained to care for patients with dementia or other memory issues allows for patients to be well cared for and careworkers to be prepared, physically and mentally, for their taxing job.”

House Bill 4584 requires Home Services Program rehabilitation counselors and homemaker agency employees who provide direct care to participants to complete at least two hours of dementia training upon their hiring, and annually thereafter.

The training will cover key topics such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia-related safety risks and effective communication strategies, as well as approaches for responding to behavioral challenges. Any similar existing training can be used to meet the new two hour minimum.

“When caring for a patient with memory loss, healthcare workers may be adored by their patient one day and be unrecognizable to the patient hours or days later,” said Gordon-Booth. “With this training, care workers will learn ways to both respond to their patient and regulate themselves.”

House Bill 4584 passed the House unanimously and now heads to the Senate.