Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, saying he was startled by problems with the handling of abuse and neglect allegations at state facilities, on Wednesday vowed reforms at six agencies that provide residential care for the disabled, the elderly, children and the mentally ill.
Speaking to reporters as he met with his cabinet, Mr. Cuomo and his staff said a review of the agencies had found myriad clashing procedures — differing definitions of abuse, varying directives about when to call law enforcement, inconsistent standards of proof and sometimes no standard of proof at all.
“Some of those findings are startling to me,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Obviously they are troubling.”