A Wisconsin State Appeals Court on Wednesday April 27, 2011 ruled patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease cannot be committed against their will for treatment under chapter 51. In Wisconsin Alzheimer's disease is not a qualifying condition for involuntary civil commitment.
Chapter 51, involuntary commitment is the practice of placing a person to inpatient psychiatric service against his or her will, in compliance with mental health laws. Commitment is time limited and requires evaluation at fixed intervals. The purpose is intense rehab to stabilize and return to an appropriate setting.
The courts argued a chapter 51 commitment was only permissible for persons diagnosed with a mental illness that can be treated. The court confirmed a lack of established, effective treatment for the Alzheimer's disease process. The court stated their are no techniques that can be employed to bring about rehabilitation from Alzheimer's disease, going further to say a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease cannot be rehabilitated.
Persons with Alzheimer's disease can still be involuntarily committed for residential care and custody under chapter 55. This custodial form of care includes involuntary administration of medications to manage challenging behaviors.
Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to follow this legislation as it unfolds.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment