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
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1782--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. HINCHEY, ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging -- recom-
mitted to the Committee on Aging in accordance with Senate Rule 6,
sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee and committed to the
Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
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.
LBD05410-03-6
S. 1782--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.
