Requires health care professional education in the area of elder abuse

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to health care practitioner professional education in the area of elderly abuse

Purpose or general idea of bill

To establish standards for training requirements for many health care practitioners that have a license from the State Education Department regarding the identification of elderly abuse. Those professions that are now required to obtain continuing education for child abuse would need to receive some information on elder abuse.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1: Amends Education Law section 6507(3) (a) to have the Commissioner of Education to establish standards requiring that all persons applying initially or for the renewal of a license or registration to be a physician, chiropractor, dentist, registered nurse, podiatrist, optometrist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or dental hygienist to complete one hour of course work or training regarding the identification and reporting of elderly abuse and maltreatment. Under current law, there is a 2 hour requirement to identify and report child abuse. This bill increases the hours of instruction by one more hour to be devoted to elder abuse issues.

Section 2: The effective date of the bill is the first of January two years after this bill becomes law to give the Department of Education sufficient time to develop instructional material on elder abuse, and to give such professionals sufficient lead time to complete the additional hour of instruction.

Justification

As the average age of our population gets older and many more of our senior citizens attain ages well past the life expectancy of earlier generations, our seniors are facing a higher risk of becoming victims of abuse and maltreatment. For many of these individuals, they have diminished capacity which makes them more vulnerable to abuse and maltreatment. To protect our elderly, early discovery and addressing the issue of elderly abuse is essential in order to minimize elder abuse.

The provisions in this bill would help to ensure that abused or maltreated elderly persons are identified at the earliest possible stages of abuse or maltreatment by health care practitioners that treat such persons. Once identified, such alleged incidents of abuse can be brought to the attention of the state and local authorities responsible for making sure that elderly persons obtain needed treatment and services.

Prior legislative history

2006 - S.6974 - Referred to Higher Education legislation 2008 - S.2267 - Referred to Higher Education

Effective date

This act shall take effect on January 1, two years after this act becomes law.