Wisconsin Lawmakers Hear from Panel on Alzheimer’s

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A panel of Wisconsin experts in law, social services and medicine are advising state lawmakers on legal interventions for those with Alzheimer’s.

In May the state Supreme Court ruled against officials who used mental health statutes to involuntary commit a Fond du Lac County woman with Alzheimer’s. The 85-year old woman had become aggressive and was refusing food and medication. State law requires counties to use the least restrictive means of providing medical services. Attorney Carol Wessels says there are other ways to deal with difficult Alzheimer’s patients, “Mental health commitments for Alzheimer’s patients are inappropriate: challenging behaviors are communication-related. I see this first-hand with my mother and other patients like her. When they become problematic it’s because the facility (nursing home or residential living facility) or caregivers are not dealing with them in an appropriate manner.”

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Before the Supreme Court ruling, there were two legal avenues for treatment of aggressive Alzheimer’s patient: involuntary commitment at a psychiatric ward or protective placement. Dyan Hafner has two parents with dementia. She says if she were to get Alzheimer she’d want help—even if it appeared she didn’t want it at the time, “If I were extremely anxious, or agitated or hallucinating or depressed I would want treatment even if I were showing combativeness I would still want my caregiver to force me to have treatment so I could have a better quality life.”

The Greater Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association predicts by 2025, the state will have a total of 130,000 people diagnosed with the disease, a 20 percent increase from 2010.