STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8258--A 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY June 2, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUPARDO, SEPULVEDA, GOTTFRIED, BARRON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to developing guidelines for identifying and reporting elder abuse in healthcare settings The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new article 3 to read 2 as follows: 3 ARTICLE 3 4 IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING SELF NEGLECT, ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT IN 5 HEALTHCARE SETTINGS 6 Section 260. Definitions. 7 261. Guidelines for identifying and reporting suspected self 8 neglect, abuse and maltreatment. 9 262. Publishing and distribution of guidelines. 10 § 260. Definitions. For purposes of this article: 11 1. "Abuse and maltreatment" shall mean actions as defined in para- 12 graphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (g) of subdivision six of section 13 four hundred seventy-three of the social services law. 14 2. "Self neglect" shall have the same meaning as defined in paragraph 15 (f) of subdivision six of section four hundred seventy-three of the 16 social services law. 17 3. "Older adult" shall mean an individual aged sixty years of age or 18 older. 19 4. "Director" shall mean the director of the office for the aging. 20 § 261. Guidelines for identifying and reporting suspected self 21 neglect, abuse and maltreatment. The director, in conjunction with the 22 commissioner of the department of health and the commissioner of the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04888-09-7A. 8258--A 2 1 office of children and family services, shall develop guidelines to 2 assist healthcare providers and others working in healthcare settings to 3 identify suspected self neglect, abuse and maltreatment of an older 4 adult. Such guidelines may be tailored to specific healthcare providers 5 or industries and shall include, but shall not be limited to: 6 1. Common signs and symptoms of self neglect, abuse and maltreatment; 7 2. Screening questions and tools that can be used during a visit to 8 help detect whether self neglect or abuse and maltreatment may be occur- 9 ring; 10 3. Training materials for distribution to healthcare providers and 11 others working in healthcare settings regarding appropriate inter- 12 ventions and suggestions for discussing the possibility of self neglect, 13 abuse and maltreatment with older adults; and 14 4. Information regarding options for reporting suspected cases of self 15 neglect or abuse and maltreatment and available resources for older 16 adult victims. 17 § 262. Publishing and distribution of guidelines. The office for the 18 aging, the department of health, and the office of children and family 19 services shall make the guidelines and materials developed in accordance 20 with this article available on their respective websites and provide 21 such materials upon request to healthcare providers and facilities. 22 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.