§ 2005. Legislative intent. 1. The legislature finds that Alzheimer's\ndisease and related dementing illnesses which destroy certain vital\ncells in the brain, currently affect more than four hundred thousand New\nYorkers. Although these diseases are not limited to the elderly, medical\nresearchers have projected that Alzheimer's disease and related diseases\nof the brain will show a significant increase in numbers to coincide\nwith the growth in the population of the elderly. Because of the\ninability of persons with Alzheimer's and related dementias to live in\nsafety or undertake even the simplest tasks of daily living without\ncueing, assistance and/or supervision, this population requires a high\nlevel of care throughout the moderate and advanced stages of the\ndisease. The reconfiguration of the health care delivery system\ncurrently underway necessitates special recognition of this patient\npopulation which often, while sometimes otherwise physically healthy,\ndemands this high level of care because of their cognitive impairment\nand other dementia symptoms.\n 2. In response to the needs of New York state's Alzheimer's community,\nand stemming from within this community, a statewide network of\nnot-for-profit corporations have been established, dedicated\nspecifically to responding at the local level to the needs of this\ncommunity. This network provides important support and educational\nservices to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. Eighty\npercent of all Alzheimer's care is provided at home and/or in the\ncommunity, and is delivered by family caregivers. By supporting family\ncaregivers and informal supports at home and in the community, costly\ninstitutionalization can be significantly delayed or avoided altogether.\nThis results in a more effective utilization of resources. It is the\nintent of the legislature to encourage and foster such home and\ncommunity-based assistance through this existing network of\nnot-for-profit corporations. It is further important in this time of\nchanging resources and resource allocation, to encourage this network to\nwork closely with the department to ensure that the Alzheimer's\ncommunity is appropriately educated and included with respect to all\navailable health care options.\n
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