On April 30, 2010 nine years of hard work ended with disappointment when the first, and only, Alzheimer’s Medicaid Waiver was ended by the Florida Legislature.
It was successful and had great promise for saving Florida dollars for the care of Alzheimer’s. But because of the economy, lack of time, and being such a young Medicaid Waiver, it just did not have the stamina of conviction to be adopted by the Legislature for its continuation.
We believe in the services the Waiver provided that were specifically for meeting the needs of both patients and caregivers. We hope to have all of your support as we fight to have those services restored.
In May 2010, the Florida Silver Alert Support committee of which I am chair, produced a Florida Silver Alert Program. It is saving lives and successfully finding cognitively impaired drivers, bringing them home safely. Our organization during the month of June and July 2010 devoted much of its resources in supporting the work of the Florida Silver Alert Support Committee. The program is now operating very successfully thanks in great part the commitment from Law Enforcement, FDLE, DOEA, and the many agencies who are silent heroes, performing many acts of kindness to those who our most fragile and vulnerable citizens: our Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
