Bill Text: NY S04880 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires establishment of model community programs, including a model telephone reassurance program and a model visiting program for elders.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-03 - REFERRED TO AGING [S04880 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S04880-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4880
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                      March 3, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by Sens. DIAZ, MONTGOMERY -- 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 requiring establishment of
          model community programs for local agencies, including a  model  tele-
          phone reassurance program and a model visiting program for elders
          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  203-a  to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  203-a. Model community programs. In order to encourage the develop-
     4  ment of activities and programs  that  promote  aging  with  dignity  in
     5  communities,  the  office  shall  develop model community programs to be
     6  distributed upon request to local area agencies on aging  and  community
     7  based  organizations.  Such  model  community programs shall include the
     8  following:
     9    1. A model telephone reassurance program shall be developed to provide
    10  for the following:
    11    (a) phone calls by the organization maintaining the program to partic-
    12  ipating seniors at an agreed upon time each day;
    13    (b) a secondary contact, where applicable,  to  be  contacted  if  the
    14  senior does not answer the initial call and before local law enforcement
    15  are contacted;
    16    (c)  coordination  with local law enforcement to ensure an appropriate
    17  response in the event the senior cannot be contacted;
    18    (d) advance consent to access to the home by local law enforcement  to
    19  determine  the status of the senior if contact with the senior could not
    20  be made; and
    21    (e) increased coordination between the seniors utilizing  the  program
    22  and  program  operators to reduce incidents resulting in unnecessary law
    23  enforcement response.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07197-01-7
        S. 4880                             2
     1    2. A model visiting program shall be developed to provide seniors with
     2  a visitor who can offer contact on a regular basis and companionship for
     3  seniors who lack a network of family and friends in  their  communities.
     4  The model visiting program shall include:
     5    (a)  methods  to  obtain volunteers including by partnering with local
     6  educational institutions;
     7    (b) systems to screen volunteers to  both  ensure  a  good  match  and
     8  protect seniors involved in the program;
     9    (c)  systems to periodically check on both volunteers and the seniors;
    10  and
    11    (d) responses to problems that may arise.
    12    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.