|
<home>
NURSING HOME REFORM
NEWSLETTER
Nov. 7, 2005
TIME TO GET STARTED
The 2006 legislative session will be here before we know it (early January). So it is time to get our legislative agenda together. For that, we want your input. Below is a proposed legislative agenda. We would like your comments and suggestions on it. Remember we cannot cover every problem in nursing homes, but the ones below are what we think should have attention in the next session. If you have any questions, please let me know. But think about these. Ask your family councils what they think, and then let me know as soon as possible.
HERE IS OUR PROPOSED AGENDA
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR 2006
KENTUCKIANS FOR NURSING HOME REFORM
- MINIMUM STAFFING RATIOS. We will work for mandated minimum staffing standards for front-line caregivers in nursing homes.
- NURSING HOME INSPECTIONS. We seek legislation that would penalize anyone intentionally tipping off a nursing home that they are going to be inspected by the state.
- FULLY FUND THE OMBUDSMEN. We need to have full-time nursing home ombudsmen in every one of the 15 ADD districts in the state. We want funding on a permanent basis that would insure at least one ombudsman for every 2,000 nursing home residents.
- RESEARCH. We support state funding of an endowed chair in long-term care research at the University of Kentucky. This coupled with the building of a continuing care community at the Coldstream Research Campus and the ability of the Cooperative Extension Service to deliver research information on long-term care to all Kentuckians, no matter where they live -- would make the Commonwealth a leader in this field as the population grows older.
- FIRE SAFETY. We want legislation mandating that a person be notified about the nursing home sprinkler system, or lack thereof, prior to that person being admitted.
- POWER OF ATTORNEY. We support a stronger power of attorney bill to strengthen KRS 386.093.
- CORONER REVIEW. We support legislation that mandates all deaths occurring in nursing homes in Kentucky be reported to the county coroner.
BELIEVE IT, OR NOT
We are told that when a group of district nursing home ombudsmen got together recently, this was almost the same objective as they had. Neither we nor they knew what the other was doing in the way of setting a legislative agenda. And we both came up with the same thing! Amazing. Believe it or not!
QUICK NOW...
...let us know what you think. By e-mail is the best way. Get active in supporting nursing home reform. Write us right away.
Bernie Vonderheide
KENTUCKIANS FOR NURSING HOME REFORM
Tel: (859) 312-5617
|
