May 5, 2022
Health Committee
California State Assembly
Dear Assembly Member Chris R. Holden,
As President of the Older Women League of San Francisco and Chair of its Political Advocacy Committee, I am writing to urge you to support Assembly Bill 2583 for the training of police officers to deal with our citizens suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
As a geriatric social worker, I know that individuals suffering from these conditions are often frightened and confused. Professional training will go a long way to ensure that those with such conditions are treated with dignity, care, and compassion. It will further prevent the suffering of patients and families and reduce the escalation of a harmless situations into a crisis.
Please support Assembly Bill 2583 so that police officers can receive this training. As more older people are choosing to stay in their communities and age in place, this legislation is timely and important. People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have been productive citizens all their lives. They have paid their taxes and we owe it to them to treat them humanely, with respect and with honor.
Sincerely,
Melanie Grossman, PhD, MSW
Vice President of OWL-SF and Chair of Political Advocacy Committee