HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2680        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1951

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to services for persons with mental illness who are living with older family members or primary caretakers..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 19 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 21 the following new section:—Section 22. The department shall provide the option of residential and day services to all individuals who meet the department's eligibility criteria and who are living in the community with a family member or other primary caretaker, when said family member or primary caretaker reaches the age of 65, or extenuating medical or other circumstances create either stresses to the parent or caretaker to an unreasonable degree or an environment that is unsafe or detrimental to either to caregiver or the person with mental illness.Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to eliminate or reduce services to any other segment of the population which the department serves.