Requires each designated agency to employ a dementia care navigator to provide support for caregivers of individuals with dementia and to assist individuals with dementia in accessing appropriate services; requires the state office for the aging to establish the position of dementia care coordinator.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8445--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 16, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Aging -- recommitted to the Committee on Aging in accord-
ance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to dementia care navigators
and coordinator
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 227 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 227. Dementia care navigators and coordinator. 1. As used in this
4 section "designated agency" shall mean any agency which is either a unit
5 of county government, the city of New York, or the governing body or
6 council of an Indian tribal reservation, or a private not-for-profit
7 agency organized or existing pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation
8 law, which has been designated as an area agency on aging by the office
9 pursuant to the federal older Americans act of 1965, as amended.
10 2. Each designated agency shall employ a dementia care navigator to
11 provide support for caregivers of individuals with dementia and to
12 assist individuals with dementia in accessing appropriate services. A
13 dementia care navigator shall:
14 (a) provide information and referrals to individuals with dementia and
15 their caregivers regarding available community-based services and
16 programs;
17 (b) assist caregivers with care planning and navigation of long-term
18 services and support groups;
19 (c) facilitate access to cognitive health resources, including infor-
20 mation regarding available screening services;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05410-02-6
A. 8445--A 2
1 (d) coordinate, as appropriate, with health care providers, communi-
2 ty-based organizations, and other service providers to improve access to
3 dementia-related services;
4 (e) provide guidance and resource information to designated agency
5 staff regarding dementia-related best practices; and
6 (f) support outreach and education efforts that promote dementia
7 awareness and dementia-friendly community initiatives.
8 3. The office shall establish the position of dementia care coordina-
9 tor. The dementia care coordinator shall manage the work of dementia
10 care navigators employed pursuant to this section.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
12 it shall have become a law.
