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.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8445A
SPONSOR: Seawright TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to dementia care navigators
and coordinator
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would require the New York State Office for the Aging to
establish a dementia care coordinator and require each designated area
agency to employ a dementia care navigator to support access to dementi-
a-related services.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 would establish a dementia care coordinator in the Office for
Aging and a dementia care navigator in each area agency on aging. The
section would outline the responsibilities of each position.
A dementia care navigator would be tasked with:
-Providing information and referrals regarding available community-based
services and programs for those with dementia.
-Assisting caregivers with care planning and navigating long term
services.
-Facilitating access to cognitive health resources, including available
screening services.
-Coordinating health care providers, community-based organizations, and
other service providers to improve access to dementia-related services.
-Supporting outreach and education efforts, supporting dementia-friendly
community initiatives.
Section 2 would establish the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
The A-print would align definitions with current statute, clarify and
adjust the responsibilities of the dementia care navigators established
in the bill, and extend the effective date to 180 days.
JUSTIFICATION:
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, the most
common type of dementia. This number is expected to increase to 14
million people by 2050, the majority of whom will be cared for at home
by family members. In 2021, 59% of New York State caregivers had chronic
health conditions, 24.7% of caregivers were diagnosed with depression,
and 12% were in poor physical health themselves. Family caregivers deal
with tasks such as behavior changes and medications, plan and implement
care transitions and help make difficult financial and legal decisions.
As it currently stands, handling these tasks can be incredibly daunting
for caregivers, and specialized government resources available to them
are often limited, if they even exist. Innovative strategies are needed
to expand the workforce supporting people with dementia and their care-
givers. Care navigation is particularly suitable for dementia due to the
limited capacity of primary care providers and specialists to manage
complex needs in all cases. The experience of dementia is unique for
each family and changes over the course of the disease's progression.
Care navigators will improve care and support in a meaningful way for
people with dementia and their caregivers.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023 - S.7243 (referred to Aging) / No same-as
2024 - S.7243 (referred to Finance) / A.10246 (referred to Aging)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become law.
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.
