A bill would make it so that patients suffering from Alzheimer's or other dementia are not committed to the state psychiatric hospital in Warm Springs, but may be sent to Lewistown. Others are concerned there's not enough bed space in Montana.
A budget estimate attached to proposed legislation in Montana raises questions about whether the state's cash-strapped communities will have the capacity to care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, other types of dementia or traumatic brain injuries by July 2025, when involuntary commitments would cease under the plan.
“When you have to sit on that patient because there isn’t a bed available where they can actually be cared for, it’s terrifying,” a Bryan Medical Center official said.
State lawmakers from both parties have shown support for a plan to stop the practice of committing people with Alzheimer’s disease, other types of dementia, or traumatic brain injuries without