Authorizes the director of the office for the aging to establish a long term care worker training pilot program for the purpose of expanding access to enhanced education and training for health care and social service practitioners who provide services to elderly persons across the state.

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S3729A-2011 Actions

• Feb 13, 2012: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 13, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 3729A
• Jan 13, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGING
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO AGING
• Mar 2, 2011: REFERRED TO AGING

S3729A-2011 Meetings

Aging: Feb 13, 2012

S3729A-2011 Votes

S3729A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3729A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a long term care
worker training pilot program; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon the expiration thereof

PURPOSE:
To provide a long term care worker training
pilot program which shall be established in the office for the aging.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would amend the
elder law by adding a new section 218-a, under which the director of the
office for the aging would establish the long term care worker training
pilot program for the purpose of improving the quality of services
provided to New York's elderly persons, by providing education and
training where a lack of and access to training opportunities exist on
aging and geriatrics for health care, social service and other providers
of long term care services. Colleges or universities having an institute
on gerontology, would assist the director in the implementation of the
long term care worker training pilot program.

JUSTIFICATION:
New York State has some 3.2 million
persons age 60 and older, who make up 17% of the state's population.
With this statistic, many communities are challenged by increasing
numbers of older adults who need supportive services, such as
recreation, income assistance, transportation, and wellness education,
and who have long term chronic health problems that require home health
care, supportive housing, or institutional care. Many areas face
problems recruiting and retaining skilled front-line workers, as well as
specialists with knowledge of the particular social and medical needs of
older adults, and especially lack the resources of "state of the art"
education and training programs.

This pilot program would improve the quality and access of services
provided to New York's elders by making available training on aging
issues to health care and social service practitioners and other
providers of qualified long term care services in counties across New
York State where:

* a higher than average growth in the older population is evident; and

* there are significant problems with retention and recruitment of long
term care workers.

The program would also increase the opportunity for front line long term
care workers to continually update their gerontology skills through a
variety of educational approaches.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2004: A.9671;   Referred to Aging
2005: A.5359A;  Referred to Aging; S.2775 - Referred to Aging
2006: A.5359A;  Referred to Ways and Means; S.2775A; Referred
                to Finance
2008: A.10465A; Recommitted to Rules; S7304A; Amend & Recommit
                to Rules

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on April
one next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a
law and shall remain in force and effect until the sixth year
anniversary of said effective date on which date it shall be deemed to
be repealed.

S3729A-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                   3729--A

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                March 2, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced by Sens. OPPENHEIMER, DIAZ -- 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  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
    amended and recommitted to said committee

  AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a  long  term
    care  worker  training  pilot program; and providing for the repeal of
    such provisions upon the expiration thereof

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  The elder law is amended by adding a new section 218-a to
  read as follows:

    S 218-A. LONG TERM CARE WORKER TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM.  1. THE  DIREC-
  TOR,  WITHIN  AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, SHALL ESTABLISH A LONG TERM
  CARE WORKER TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF  EXPANDING  ACCESS
  TO  ENHANCED  EDUCATION  AND  TRAINING  ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR
  HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES PRACTITIONERS WHO  PROVIDE  SERVICES  TO
  ELDERLY  PERSONS  AS  DEFINED  BY  PARAGRAPH  (B)  OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF
  SECTION TWO HUNDRED FOURTEEN OF THIS TITLE. EMPHASIS SHALL BE PLACED  ON
  TRAINING  TRAINERS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TRAINERS FROM COLLEGE,
  UNIVERSITY AND BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL  SERVICES  FACULTY,  AND
  STAFF  OF  PROVIDER  AGENCIES  IN HIGH NEEDS AREAS, AS SET FORTH IN THIS
  SECTION, WHO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR HOME CARE, NURSE  AIDES,
  PERSONAL  CARE AIDES, CASE MANAGERS IN THE EXPANDED IN-HOME SERVICES FOR
  THE ELDERLY PROGRAM, INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SPECIALISTS INCLUDING, BUT
  NOT LIMITED TO, THOSE WORKING FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS, MUNICIPAL
  GOVERNMENTS, NEW YORK CONNECTS-CHOICES FOR LONG TERM CARE, SOCIAL  ADULT
  DAY CARE, ADULT DAY CARE AND OTHER CAREGIVERS WITH HANDS-ON RESPONSIBIL-
  ITIES  FOR  ELDERLY CLIENTS. THE GOAL SHALL BE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
  CARE PROVIDED TO THE ELDERLY, TO ENSURE THAT  INDIVIDUALS  WORKING  WITH
  THE  ELDERLY AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE CORE COMPETENCIES IN GERIATRICS, TO

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD05935-02-2

 S. 3729--A                          2

  IMPROVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION,  AND  TO  ASSIST  PROVIDERS  TO  MEET
  TRAINING  NEEDS,  INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY REGULATORY AGEN-
  CIES. THE DIRECTOR SHALL COORDINATE SUCH  EFFORTS  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH
  ONGOING  TRAINING  AND  CERTIFICATION  SERVICES  AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE
  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH; OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM  AND
  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE SERVICES; STATE COMMISSION ON QUALITY OF CARE AND ADVO-
  CACY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; EDUCATION DEPARTMENT; STATE  UNIVER-
  SITY OF NEW YORK; OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND SUCH
  OTHER  AGENCIES  AS APPROPRIATE. SUCH TRAINING SHALL BE COORDINATED WITH
  COMMUNITY BASED AGENCIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,  COUNTY  HEALTH,
  MENTAL  HEALTH  AND  SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENTS; COUNTY OFFICES FOR THE
  AGING; COLLEGES AND  UNIVERSITIES;  BOARDS  OF  COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL
  SERVICES; LONG TERM CARE PROVIDERS; AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTERS; RURAL
  HEALTH  NETWORKS;  AND  SUCH OTHER AGENCIES AS APPROPRIATE. THE DIRECTOR
  SHALL PROVIDE A METHOD FOR  ONGOING  EVALUATION  AND  REPORTING  ON  THE
  SUCCESS OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM IN MEETING ITS STATED GOALS.
    2.  THE DIRECTOR, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, AND IN CONSUL-
  TATION WITH THE AGENCIES THE DIRECTOR IS  REQUIRED  TO  COORDINATE  WITH
  PURSUANT  TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, SHALL CONTRACT WITH ONE OR
  MORE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES WITH A RECOGNIZED INSTITUTE ON  GERONTOLO-
  GY,  TO  ASSIST IN THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE LONG
  TERM CARE WORKER TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF
  HIGH NEEDS AREAS WHERE A SHORTAGE OF GERIATRIC  TRAINING  RESOURCES  AND
  DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING SUCH TRAINING ARE DOCUMENTED.
    3.  ON  OR  BEFORE  THE  FIRST  OF SEPTEMBER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR NEXT
  SUCCEEDING THE YEAR IN WHICH THIS SECTION TAKES EFFECT, AND EVERY SECOND
  YEAR THEREAFTER, THE DIRECTOR SHALL  REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE
  LEGISLATURE ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT AND EVALU-
  ATE  THE LONG TERM CARE WORKER TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM. SUCH REPORT SHALL
  INCLUDE DATA RELATING TO PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, OUTCOMES AND  OTHER  PERTI-
  NENT  INFORMATION  NECESSARY  TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PILOT
  PROGRAM IN ACCOMPLISHING ITS STATED GOALS.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April of the  calendar
  year  next  succeeding the year in which it shall have become a law, and
  shall expire and be deemed repealed 6 years after it shall take effect.