By Mr. Scaccia of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 137) of Angelo M. Scaccia relative to services administered by the Department of Mental Retardation for elderly mentally retarded persons.  Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to services for older persons who are mentally retarded. .

    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 19B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 18 the following new section:—
Section 19. The department shall provide the option of residential and day services to all individuals 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 non-habilitative.
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.