NY MPA Proposal 4: Multilayered Awareness and Intervention Practices

Proposal 4 of the New York Master Plan for Aging recommends establishing multilayered public awareness campaigns and intervention practices addressing key health issues affecting older adults, including falls, diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, sexual health, nutrition, malnutrition prevention, advance care planning, caregiver education, brain health, adult abuse and scams, mental health, and generalized prevention. These campaigns would use culturally and linguistically appropriate messaging to improve health literacy and target marginalized populations, aiming to enhance prevention and management of these conditions, ultimately improving health outcomes.

The MPA Stakeholder Advisory Committee determined that this proposal's potential impact (based on ROI, consensus/support, and urgency) is medium and its feasibility (based on cost and difficulty of implementation) is medium. The MPA Council determined that the potential timeline would be near-term, would have fiscal implications, and would require coordination among state agencies, with implementation success measured by public engagement.

Why This Proposal Matters for Elder Law

This proposal is categorized under the "Prevention, Wellness Promotion, and Access" pillar. While many issues are covered, the section on adult abuse and scams is of particular importance to elder lawyers. Legal professionals routinely encounter cases of financial exploitation, neglect, and abuse—areas where public awareness campaigns can complement but not replace legal remedies.

The proposal envisions:

A public education campaign conducted by NYSOFA and OCFS on elder abuse built off the 2023 OCFS public awareness campaign to call attention to the issue of adult abuse, which includes advertising across various platforms such as billboards and social media. NYSOFA provides some annual funding to Lifespan of Greater Rochester to conduct education and prevention activities on elder abuse which will also contribute to this campaign.

From a legal-policy perspective, this raises some questions:

• Will awareness translate into increased reporting? Public campaigns often increase calls to Adult Protective Services, but without additional staffing or legal enforcement, the system may become overburdened.
• Are preventive campaigns enough? Awareness is necessary, but enforcement tools (such as stronger civil remedies for financial exploitation or reforms to reporting obligations) are equally important.

Supporting Context

To fully appreciate this component of Proposal 4, it helps to look at two key initiatives that the MPA Council mentions: OCFS’s 2023 public awareness campaign on elder abuse, and the annual funding NYSOFA provides to Lifespan of Greater Rochester for its Elder Abuse Education & Outreach Program.

• 2023 OCRS Public Awareness Campaign: In 2023, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) launched a public awareness campaign focused on adult abuse prevention, particularly elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. It focused on educating the public about what constitutes abuse of vulnerable adults, who is at risk, the signs to watch for, and where to turn for help—primarily through OCFS’s Adult Protective Services (APS) program, which investigates reports and provides support. The campaign materials emphasized APS’s toll-free reporting line and encouraged community members, professionals, and caregivers to intervene when they suspect harm. Ultimately, the goal was both preventive (raising awareness so abuse is less likely to occur) and responsive (ensuring abuse is recognized early and reported properly). For more details, OCFS provides publications with brochures and fact sheets, as well as professional resources that outline policies and guidelines. Additional context about the 2023 awareness campaign can be found in the OCFS August 2023 Newsletter.
• NYSOFA Funding: The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) provides annual funding to Lifespan of Greater Rochester to run the Elder Abuse Education and Outreach Program (EAEOP), which delivers training, public awareness campaigns, and prevention activities across the state. This program is designed to educate older adults, caregivers, and professionals about recognizing and preventing abuse, while also connecting victims to resources. It is part of New York’s broader elder justice strategy, which also includes initiatives like the Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team Initiative, where professionals from multiple fields collaborate to address complex abuse cases, including financial exploitation.

Summary of Proposal 4

Key Health Issues Targeted:

Falls • Diabetes • Hypertension • Physical Activity • Sexual Health • Nutrition & SNAP • Malnutrition • Advance Care Planning • Caregiver Education • Brain Health • Adult Abuse & Scams • Mental Health • General Prevention

Approach:

• Public awareness campaigns grounded in best practices of public health.
• Messaging adapted for cultural and linguistic competency, health literacy, and accessibility (e.g., plain language, ASL, assistive tech–friendly design).
• Priority outreach to marginalized and underrepresented populations.

Implementation Considerations:

• Near-term rollout, coordinated by multiple state agencies.
• Fiscal impact tied to the annual budget process.
• Metrics: public engagement with campaign materials and resources.

Full Text of Proposal 4

Summary: Establish multilayered public awareness campaigns and intervention practices based on best public health practices for addressing the following health issues or needs: Falls, Diabetes, Hypertension, The importance of physical activity, Sexual Health, Nutrition benefits (including SNAP, the Elderly Simplified Application Process, and the Restaurant Meals Program), Malnutrition Prevention and Awareness, Advance care planning (ACP) (particularly end-of-life), Caregiver education, Brain health, Adult Abuse and Scams, mental health, and Generalized prevention. Campaigns and other communications should consider health literacy as well as cultural and linguistic competency.

Justification: Risk factors for worsened health and increased healthcare costs include hypertension, diabetes, and falls, though education and management strategies for these conditions are not widely practiced. Additionally, ACP, the benefits of utilizing SNAP, the identification of caregivers, and the importance of brain health are all issues which may require improved understanding. Education and awareness of these topics may improve health outcomes.

Full Proposal
Establish multilayered public awareness campaigns and intervention practices based on best public health practices for addressing the following health issues or needs:

1. Falls

a. Fall risk and risk reduction, educate provider organizations about fall risks and prevention programs, fund, promote, and collaborate with organizations to implement evidence-based programs for falls prevention.

b. The State of New York should prioritize the following topics in public information campaigns about fall risk and risk reduction, with an emphasis on reaching marginalized populations (delivered at the community level for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention):

i. Nutrition education messaging for older adults (e.g. increased protein needs).

ii. Promoting physical activity to prevent sarcopenia, frailty, and falls.

iii. Home safety to prevent falls and other accidental injuries.

iv. Promoting awareness of available programs and services to improve physical activity.

v. Promoting availability of vision screening and rehabilitation services.

2. Diabetes

a. Focused on diabetes risk factors, prevention strategies, and healthy lifestyle choices for older adults.

3. Hypertension

a. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common health condition among older adults that can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health complications. Implementing specific strategies can help to prevent and manage hypertension among older adults.

4. The importance of physical activity

a. Educate New Yorkers about the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging, using culturally appropriate messaging and diverse media channels.

5. Sexual Health

a. Provide information and education to older adults to maintain optimal sexual health and intimacy wellness. This includes information on dating, physical intimacy, and sexually transmitted infections (STI) awareness and prevention efforts (including HIV and Hepatitis C). This includes the importance of ongoing testing, the use of condoms, and information on medications, such as PrEP and Doxy PEP.

6. Nutrition benefits (including SNAP, the Elderly Simplified Application Process, and the Restaurant Meals Program)

a. Prioritize targeting outreach efforts to vulnerable and/or low participating groups in SNAP benefits including but not limited to older adults and people of color. Through public-private collaboration, which includes the utilization of existing programs. The outreach should include benefit explanation and education about SNAP benefits with the goal of reducing the participation gap, reducing hunger, and promoting greater economic security to those eligible.

7. Malnutrition Prevention and Awareness

a. Raise awareness and provide education about prevention and treatment of malnutrition and sarcopenic obesity.

b. Create a Malnutrition Awareness Week with an emphasis on food insecurity, benefits shortage during five-week months, and impact on community resources.

c. Create NYS Malnutrition Prevention Committee for Older Adults.

8. Advance care planning (particularly end-of-life)

a. Fund, develop, and coordinate an equity-based comprehensive statewide public health education campaign on advance care planning as pursuant to Chapter 406 of 2022 to address barriers to making wishes known through the process of ACP and to improve the gap in health equity. Materials will be written in plain language and translations will be available for individuals whose primary language is not English. Video ads will have American Sign Language (ASL) version. All visual materials will meet accessibility guidelines including being assistive reading technology friendly.

9. Caregiver education

a. Successfully reaching informal caregivers requires identifying and then meaningfully partnering with the individuals and populations that have been marginalized by existing policies. Knowing the gaps and any barriers for identifying caregivers is a critical first step to developing intentional approaches that best support these populations.

10. Brain health

a. A public health campaign with targeted strategies for clinicians and the general public to raise awareness about the importance of brain health, the role of prevention in optimizing brain health, and the services that can aid with brain health.

11. Adult Abuse and Scams

a. A public education campaign conducted by NYSOFA and OCFS on elder abuse built off the 2023 OCFS public awareness campaign to call attention to the issue of adult abuse, which includes advertising across various platforms such as billboards and social media. NYSOFA provides some annual funding to Lifespan of Greater Rochester to conduct education and prevention activities on elder abuse which will also contribute to this campaign.

12. Generalized prevention

13. Mental Health

This proposal is focused on primary prevention.

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MPA Council Commentary This proposal is categorized as near-term. The state is currently implementing multiple public education strategies, programs, and other initiatives. Proposed first steps for implementation could include coordinating impacted state agencies and the Governor’s Office for order and release of campaigns. Proposed next steps could include engaging relevant programs and agencies for critical information, development, and publication of campaign materials. Proposed metrics for evaluating implementation success could include public engagement with campaign materials and resources. This proposal would result in additional state costs and funding allocations would be subject to the annual budget process and available resources.

Sources: MPA Final Report at 130 and MPA webiste.