Bill Text: NY S00883 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Establishes an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program for medical and non-medical professionals to promote earlier identification of Alzheimer's and to provide information and other assistance in finding community support for caregivers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO AGING [S00883 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00883-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           883

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 6, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  MAY,  BROUK,  COONEY,  HINCHEY  -- read twice and
          ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
          Aging

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  elder  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  an
          Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program

          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 section 226 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 226. Alzheimer's disease outreach and education  program.  1.    The
     4  office,  in  consultation  with  the  commissioner  of health, is hereby
     5  authorized and directed to establish an Alzheimer's disease outreach and
     6  education program ("the program") for medical  and  non-medical  profes-
     7  sionals, including physicians, nurses, and social services personnel who
     8  work with older New Yorkers and their families, and for consumers, care-
     9  givers and other individuals and organizations working with or on behalf
    10  of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The purpose of
    11  the program shall be to:
    12    (a)  promote earlier identification of dementia in health care facili-
    13  ties including but not limited to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and
    14  assisted living facilities;
    15    (b) provide information and assistance  on  where  to  find  community
    16  support  services,  including  caregiver  support  groups  and services,
    17  respite, care management and to serve as  a  clearinghouse  for  related
    18  information; and
    19    (c)  promote  public awareness of and access to resources and informa-
    20  tion concerning Alzheimer's  disease  and  any  other  dementia  related
    21  matters  that the commissioner of health and the director deem appropri-
    22  ate.
    23    2. The program shall include but shall not be limited to  any  of  the
    24  following elements:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02706-01-3
        S. 883                              2

     1    (a)  educational  and informational materials in print, audio, visual,
     2  electronic or other media;
     3    (b)  training  curriculum including best practices for institutions of
     4  higher learning and for ongoing in-service training;
     5    (c) public service announcements and advertisements; and
     6    (d) establishment  of  toll-free  telephone  hotlines  and  electronic
     7  services to provide information.
     8    3.  The  office  shall  produce,  make available to others for reprod-
     9  uction, or contract with others to develop materials mentioned  in  this
    10  section as the director deems appropriate. These materials shall be made
    11  available to the public free of charge as appropriate or for a fee under
    12  certain  circumstances.  The  director  may  request the commissioner of
    13  health to require any health  care  provider  to  make  these  materials
    14  available  to  patients  where  appropriate  and  encourage  non-medical
    15  professionals to make them available to the clients they serve.
    16    4. In exercising any of his or her  powers  under  this  section,  the
    17  director  shall  consult  with appropriate health care professionals and
    18  providers, senior service providers, organizations representing  persons
    19  with dementia or cognitive impairments, consumers and patients or organ-
    20  izations representing them.
    21    5.  The  director  shall  ensure  that  all  information and materials
    22  produced under this section are maintained and updated to  reflect  best
    23  practice recommendations and are culturally and linguistically appropri-
    24  ate  for  the communities served by the Alzheimer's disease outreach and
    25  education program. The office shall post electronic copies  of  outreach
    26  material,  including  best  practices, on its website. The department of
    27  health shall post the same information on its website.
    28    6. The director may appoint  advisory  councils  relating  to  various
    29  matters  under  this  section. All such councils shall include represen-
    30  tation of health care professionals, providers, senior  service  provid-
    31  ers,  organizations  representing  persons  with  dementia  or cognitive
    32  impairments, consumers, patients and other  appropriate  interests.  The
    33  members  of  the  councils  shall  receive  no  compensation  for  their
    34  services, but shall be  allowed  their  actual  and  necessary  expenses
    35  incurred in performance of their duties.
    36    7.  In  addition  to  state funds appropriated under this section, the
    37  director may accept grants from public or private sources. The director,
    38  in administering this section, shall seek  to  coordinate  programs  and
    39  activities  under  this  section with other public and private programs,
    40  and may undertake joint or cooperative programs  with  other  public  or
    41  private entities.
    42    8. The director may make rules and regulations necessary and appropri-
    43  ate for implementation of this section.
    44    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.