118 S4729 IS: Convenient Care for Caregivers Act
U.S. Senate
2024-07-23
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II
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4729
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 23, 2024
Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish a pilot program for family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Convenient Care for Caregivers Act”.
2.

Pilot program for family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction
Title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 414 (42 U.S.C. 3032c) the following:
“415.

Pilot program for family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction
(a)

Definitions
In this section:
(1)

Family caregiver for an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction
The term family caregiver for an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction—
(A)
means an adult family member, or another individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an individual of any age who is an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction; and
(B)
does not include an individual, providing care to an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction, whose primary relationship with the indivdual is based on a financial or professional agreement.
(2)

Qualified entity
The term qualified entity means—
(A)
an area agency on aging;
(B)
a multipurpose senior center;
(C)
an institution of higher education; or
(D)
a tribal organization.
(b)

Pilot program
(1)

In general
The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, shall establish and carry out a pilot program to assist family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction to access health care services and other supports in order to improve the health outcomes of the family caregivers and the individuals.
(2)

Projects
(A)

In general
In carrying out the program, the Assistant Secretary shall make grants to qualified entities meeting the requirements under subsection (c) to carry out projects that assist family caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction in addressing the health care needs of such caregivers and individuals by offering evidence-informed, or evidence-based, health care services and other supports to such caregivers and individuals at the same time and the same location.
(B)

Accessibility
Each qualified entity receiving a grant under this section shall carry out a project described in subparagraph (A) in an easily accessible space and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).
(c)

Application
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a qualified entity shall submit an application at such time and in such manner as the Assistant Secretary may require, including—
(1)
information on how the entity located an appropriate space described in subsection (b)(2)(B) to carry out a project, including any consideration of a converted retail mall or other accessible space with proximity to public transportation and ample parking, and any collaboration with a State or local economic development organization to identify that appropriate space;
(2)
an assurance that the entity—
(A)
will cooperate with efforts in which the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will submit data to the Assistant Secretary on the payment indicators described in subsection (e)(1); and
(B)
will submit data to the Assistant Secretary on the health indicators described in subsection (e)(2); and
(3)
a description of how the entity will share information on family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction, and such individuals, among providers in the project.
(d)

Use of funds
A qualified entity that receives a grant under this section may use the grant funds to provide—
(1)
cognitive health screenings;
(2)
family consultations and other care consultations;
(3)
education;
(4)
family caregiver support groups;
(5)
conversation groups for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction;
(6)
specialized bereavement services;
(7)
ongoing support by phone or person-to-person conferencing;
(8)
insurance support; and
(9)
social and cultural activities.
(e)

Outcome data
A qualified entity that receives a grant under this section for a project shall—
(1)
on the date of the enrollment of the family caregiver of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction, and such individual, in the project, notify the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the enrollment and request that the Administrator send to the Assistant Secretary—
(A)
an estimated amount on an indicator consisting of the payments made by the Centers, through programs under the jurisdiction of the Centers, on behalf of the caregiver and individual during the last full fiscal year preceding the enrollment; and
(B)
not later than 60 days after each fiscal year for which the caregiver and individual are enrolled in the project, a calculated amount on that payment indicator for that fiscal year;
(2)
(A)
submit to the Assistant Secretary, after the first appointments of the family caregiver of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction, and the individual, with the project, initial data on health indicators of the caregiver and individual consisting of—
(i)
cholesterol levels;
(ii)
body mass index;
(iii)
weight;
(iv)
glucose levels;
(v)
self-reported data, including data on emotional stress, physical strain, loneliness, and feelings of isolation; and
(vi)
such other health indicators as the Assistant Secretary may establish; and
(B)
submit to the Assistant Secretary, not later than 60 days after each fiscal year for which the caregiver and individual are so enrolled, subsequent data on the health indicators.
(f)

Report
Not later than 120 days after each such fiscal year, the Assistant Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a report containing information on the outcome data collected under subsection (e), including the differences between the estimated and calculated amounts on the payment indicators reported under subsection (e)(1) and the differences between the initial and subsequent data on the health indicators reported under subsection (e)(2).
(g)

Administration
The Assistant Secretary shall work with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop the indicator described in subsection (e)(1), and means of collecting data on that indicator.”.