What is Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
Dementia is the loss or decline in memory and other cognitive functions. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, accounting for approximately 70% of cases.
Giving Peace Officers the Tools to Engage Effectively With Individuals Living With Alzheimer's and Dementia
There has been significant time, energy, and resources dedicated to addressing Alzheimer’s-related challenges, but one unaddressed area is the support our peace officers receive for responding to calls involving individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Without adequate training, peace officers cannot respond appropriately when they interact with Alzheimer’s and dementia individuals, which can lead to unfortunate encounters. Because of California’s aging population, it is not a matter of if, but rather a question of when peace officers will interact with individuals in their community living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Taking concrete steps to ensure that our peace officers are Alzheimer ready is critical, necessary and will be addressed by AB 2583.
AB 2583
An Introduction
AB 2583 aims to improve the ability of peace officers by providing them the tools and training needed to effectively interact with those living with dementia.
California’s demographics are rapidly changing and an increasing percentage of the population is represented by older individuals. California’s Master Plan for Aging has identified five goals for 2030 to help address the unique challenges presented by the shifting demographic. Three of these five goals specifically reference individuals living with Alzheimer’s/dementia and all five of them recognize the importance of equity as our population ages. Another significant goal of the Master Plan on Aging is to have a dementia ready – dementia friendly workforce.
Why is it important? How AB 2583 will work
AB 2583 will require that by January 1, 2030, all peace officers appointed prior to July 1, 2029 have received training on interacting with individuals with Alzheimer's. This training will facilitate more compassionate engagement between peace officers and individuals living with Alzheimer's and dementia in their communities. It will also ensure that California's peace officers are leading the way in meeting the goal of creating a dementia-friendly workforce.
Supported by
Organizations
Alzheimer’s Association (Sponsor) · Alzheimer’s Los Angeles · Alzheimer’s Orange County · Alzheimer’s San Diego · NAACP – San Mateo Branch · California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A) · California Public Defenders Association · San Francisco Women’s Cancer Network · Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC) · Peninsula Solidarity Cohort · Biogen · The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration · Villages of San Mateo· Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity· Delta Sigma Theta Sorority· South San Francisco Police Department· LeadingAge California· Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council· City of San Mateo· Star Vista
Individuals
Support My Bill
We are soliciting letters of support for this bill to clear Appropriations; write and send your own. We have included a sample letter of support as well as instructions on submitting your letter below.
[INSERT ORGANIZATION LOGO] [INSERT DATE] The Honorable Chris R. Holden California State Assembly 1021 O Street, Suite 8220 Sacramento, CA 95814 SUPPORT: AB 2583 (Mullin) – Alzheimer’s and Dementia Training for Peace Officers Dear Chair Holden: On behalf of [INSERT ORGANIZATION], I am pleased to write to you in support of Assemblymember Mullin’s bill AB 2583, which will give California’s peace officers the training and tools to effectively interact with individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. [Please feel free to add a personal statement/experience here or elsewhere in the letter] California is poised to experience a “silver tsunami.” According to the Governor’s Master Plan for Aging, in 10 years California will be home to 10.8 million people over the age of 60. Whereas approximately 16% of the population was 60+ in 2010, that number will climb to over 25% of the population by 2030. Accompanying this shift in demographics will be an increased prevalence of individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. In the next 5 years alone the number of people in California living with Alzheimer’s will grow by nearly 22%. Communities of color will shoulder a disproportionate share of the increase in prevalence. The California Department of Public Health estimates twice as many Californians will be living with Alzheimer’s by 2040. In that same period the number of Black Californians living with Alzheimer’s is projected to nearly triple and Hispanic Californians living with Alzheimer’s will more than triple. Ensuring that our state’s workforce has dementia training and competency is critical. A stated goal of The Master Plan for Aging is to cultivate a “Dementia Ready, Dementia Friendly Workforce.” AB 2583 will serve as a key tool for achieving that goal with California’s peace officers. Already, cities around the state are recognizing the importance of this type of training. Cities such as San Mateo, Los Angeles, and San Diego have proactively added dementia specific training for peace officers in the city of San Mateo. Now is the time to extend this training to all peace officers in California. AB 2583 helps to address the unfortunate challenges of today and tomorrow that Alzheimer’s presents to our state by giving peace officers the tools they need to engage with Californian’s increasing aging population. The [INSERT ORGANIZATION] is proud to support this important piece of legislation. Sincerely, [Signature] [Name & Title] [Organization] Cc: Members, Assembly Committee on Appropriations Kimberly Horiuchi, Assembly Appropriations Consultant
Once complete, upload your custom letter to the California Legislature Position Letter Portal. The deadline for the committee to receive letters of support is May 12, 2022.
If you have difficulty uploading your letter of support, you can email the committee at approps.committee@assembly.ca.gov and copy the committee consultant at Kimberly.Horiuchi@asm.ca.gov.
Directions for how to upload a Letter.
- Go to the Submit a Letter page
- Enter the desired measure type and measure number
- Click the “Next=>Select Client” button
- Check mark to select the desired clients
- Click the “Next=>Select Recipients" button
- Select The Committee(s) and Author Staff
- Click the “Next=>Select File” button
- Select the Stance
- Enter Subject
- Upload the letter file by clicking the “Choose File” button
- Click the “Next=>Review Submission” button
- Review the information
- Check the I’m not a robot and verify the images
- Click “Submit Position Letter” button