What's happening
This bill establishes an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program in New York to promote early identification, provide resources, and raise public awareness.
Why it matters
Promotes early detection and intervention. By focusing on earlier identification of dementia in healthcare settings, this program could help individuals and families access treatments, support, and planning resources sooner, potentially improving quality of life and outcomes.
Centralizes and expands support resources. The program aims to serve as a clearinghouse for information, connecting New Yorkers with caregiver support groups, respite care, and other community services, making it easier for families to navigate available assistance.
Ensures culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach. By requiring materials to be updated and tailored for the diverse communities of New York, the program seeks to reduce disparities in dementia awareness and support, making resources more accessible to all populations.
Facilitates collaboration and accountability. The bill calls for ongoing input from health professionals, caregivers, and advocacy organizations, and allows for advisory councils, helping to keep the program responsive to evolving best practices and community needs.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Alzheimer’s Outreach and Education
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Alzheimer's Education and Outreach
In Assembly Committee · Aging · Sponsor Jo Anne Simon
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
225
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- 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 Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 to read as follows:
§ 224. Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program. 1. The office, in consultation with the commissioner of health, is hereby authorized and directed to establish an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program ("the program") for medical and non-medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, and social services personnel who work with older New Yorkers and their families, and for consumers, caregivers and other individuals and organizations working with or on behalf of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The purpose of the program shall be to:
(a) promote earlier identification of dementia in health care facilities including but not limited to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and assisted living facilities;
(b) provide information and assistance on where to find community support services, including caregiver support groups and services, respite, care management and to serve as a clearinghouse for related information; and
(c) promote public awareness of and access to resources and information concerning Alzheimer's disease and any other dementia related matters that the commissioner and director of the office for the aging deem appropriate.
2. The program shall include but shall not be limited to any of the following elements:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00968-01-7
S. 225 2
(a) educational and informational materials in print, audio, visual, electronic or other media;
(b) training curriculum including best practices for institutions of higher learning and for ongoing in-service training;
(c) public service announcements and advertisements; and
(d) establishment of toll-free telephone hotlines and electronic services to provide information.
3. The office shall produce, make available to others for reproduction, or contract with others to develop materials mentioned in this section as the director deems appropriate. These materials shall be made available to the public free of charge as appropriate or for a fee under certain circumstances. The director may request the commissioner of health to require any health care provider to make these materials available to patients where appropriate and encourage non-medical professionals to make them available to the clients they serve.
4. In exercising any of his or her powers under this section, the director shall consult with appropriate health care professionals and providers, senior service providers, organizations representing persons with dementia or cognitive impairments, consumers and patients or organizations representing them.
5. The director shall ensure that all information and materials produced under this section are maintained and updated to reflect best practice recommendations and are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the communities served by the Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program. The office shall post electronic copies of outreach material, including best practices, on its website. The department of health shall post the same information on its website.
6. The director may appoint advisory councils relating to various matters under this section. All such councils shall include representation of health care professionals, providers, senior service providers, organizations representing persons with dementia or cognitive impairments, consumers, patients and other appropriate interests. The members of the councils shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in performance of their duties.
7. In addition to state funds appropriated under this section, the director may accept grants from public or private sources. The director, in administering this section, shall seek to coordinate programs and activities under this section with other public and private programs, and may undertake joint or cooperative programs with other public or private entities.
8. The director may make rules and regulations necessary and appropriate for implementation of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would create the Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program, which would be responsible for promoting earlier identification of the disease, increasing public awareness of Alzheimer's disease, and providing information and assistance on where to find community support.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill adds new section 224 to the Elder Law, creating the Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program. This new section provides the following:
1. The office, in consultation with the commissioner of health, is hereby authorized and directed to establish an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program.
2. The program shall include but shall not be limited to educational and informational materials, training curriculum, public service announcements, and a toll-free telephone hotline to provide information.
3. The office shall produce materials that are available to the public free of charge. The director of the program can request the commissioner of health to require health care providers to make these materials available to patients.
4. In exercising any of his or her powers under this section, the director shall consult with appropriate persons or groups, such as health care professionals or organizations representing persons with dementia or cognitive impairments.
5. The director shall ensure that all information and materials produced under this section are maintained and updated to reflect best practice recommendation.
6. The director may appoint advisory councils relating to various matters under this section.
7. In addition to state funds appropriated under this section, the director may accept grants from public or private sources.
8. The director may make rules and regulations necessary and appropriate for implementation of this section.
Section two of the bill provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Existing law
None.
Justification
According to the New York State Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias, 300,000 older New York State residents have dementia and this number is projected to continue growing rapidly. Coined "The Disease of the Century", the challenges that New York is and will continue to face in serving this population and caregivers will continue to grow. Fortunately, there is growing research and best practices that have helped better identify persons with Alzheimer's disease, better care for persons with Alzheimer's disease, provide better support services for caregivers and provide packages of services that delay nursing home placements. As the population ages, it is important to provide appropriate information and assistance, training and outreach and education to providers of services and to the general public in order to ensure that identification and intervention occur earlier and families are linked with the appropriate support to help provide a good quality of life for the individual with the disease.
Prior legislative history
2016: S.1449 - Committed to Finance 2015: S.1449 - Referred to Aging 2014: S.4384 - Referred to Aging 2013: S.4384 - Reported to Finance 2011-12: S.2187 - Referred to Aging 2009-10: S.2016 - Referred to Aging 2008: S.2451 - Reported to Rules 2007: S.2451 - Reported to Finance
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.