Bill Text: NY S05621 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the office for caregiver advocates, a support network for relatives who act as a primary caregiver for an older adult relative.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-06-04 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S05621 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S05621-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5621
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     May 29, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  ADAMS  -- 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  the  office
         for  caregiver advocates, a support network for relatives who act as a
         primary caregiver for an older adult relative
         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 224 to
    2  read as follows:
    3    S 224. OFFICE FOR CAREGIVER  ADVOCATES.  1.  THE  DIRECTOR  IS  HEREBY
    4  AUTHORIZED  AND  DIRECTED,  TO  THE  EXTENT APPROPRIATIONS ARE AVAILABLE
    5  THEREFOR, TO DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH AN OFFICE FOR ADULT  CAREGIVER  ADVO-
    6  CATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES TO RELATIVES WHO ACT
    7  AS  A PRIMARY CAREGIVER FOR AN OLDER ADULT RELATIVE. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE
    8  OF SUCH OFFICE SHALL BE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND  EDUCATION  TO  ADULT
    9  RELATIVE CAREGIVERS AS THEIR RELATIVE TRANSITIONS IN THE AGING PROCESS.
   10    2. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   11    (A)  "ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS" SHALL MEAN ANY RELATIVE OF AN ELDERLY
   12  ADULT WHETHER BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE WHO: (I) IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE  OR
   13  OLDER, AND (II) LIVES WITH THE ELDERLY ADULT, OR (III) PROVIDES CAREGIV-
   14  ER SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY ADULT BECAUSE THE ELDERLY ADULT IS NO LONGER
   15  ABLE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES IN WHOLE OR IN PART BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE.
   16    (B)  "CAREGIVER  SERVICES"  SHALL  INCLUDE  BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: (I)
   17  VERBAL REMINDING, PHYSICAL CUEING OR SUPERVISION, (II) PROVIDING ASSIST-
   18  ANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING INCLUDING EATING, TOILETING, TRANS-
   19  FERRING, BATHING, DRESSING, AND MAINTAINING CONTINENCE.
   20    (C) "ELDERLY ADULT" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SIXTY YEARS OF AGE
   21  OR OLDER WHO IS UNABLE TO PERFORM  AT  LEAST  TWO  ACTIVITIES  OF  DAILY
   22  LIVING WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL HUMAN ASSISTANCE.
   23    3.  THE  RESPONSIBILITIES  OF  THE  OFFICE FOR CAREGIVER ADVOCATES MAY
   24  INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:  (A) THE CREATION  OF  CAREGIVER  ADVO-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD11297-01-3
       S. 5621                             2
    1  CATES RESOURCE CENTERS BY LOCAL OFFICES FOR THE AGING IN NEW YORK STATE,
    2  (B) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS, (C)
    3  INFORMATION  AND  REFERRAL FOR ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS, (D) ASSISTANCE
    4  TO  ADULT  RELATIVE  CAREGIVERS IN GAINING ACCESS TO AVAILABLE SERVICES,
    5  (E) COUNSELING TO ADULT RELATIVE  CAREGIVERS  IN  MAKING  DECISIONS  AND
    6  SOLVING  PROBLEMS RELATING TO THEIR CAREGIVING ROLES, AND (F) THE PUBLI-
    7  CATION AND DISSEMINATION OF PRINTED MATERIAL RELATED TO SERVICES  AVAIL-
    8  ABLE TO ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS AND THE ELDERLY ADULTS THEY CARE FOR.
    9    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.