Thankfully, this hurricane
season has been relatively tame, especially compared to the wind-swept
disasters of 2004 and 2005.As all
Americans saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, dozens of elderly seniors
were not evacuated and were left to die in Louisiana nursing homes and long-term care
centers.Florida has strong patient protection
procedures in place, but not all states have comparable plans.That is why I introduced H.R. 6161, the Senior Safety and Dignity Act.
My legislation helps protect
the 1.3 million Americans currently living in nursing homes and an estimated
sixty percent of the American population that will require nursing home care in
the future.It has been nearly twenty
years since Congress passed comprehensive legislation designed to improve the
quality of nursing homecare.While
Congress has passed legislation like the Jessica Lunsford Act to protect the
youngest among us, I also know that we can do more to protect those at the
other end of the age spectrum, our seniors.
The Senior Safety and Dignity Act requires all nursing homes to have a
clear and pre-established disaster plan and that those plans be shared with patient’s
next of kin.Having a clear and
available evacuation plan for nursing home residents is one of the most
important steps we can take to ensure the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina will
not be repeated.Patients and their
families will have the peace of mind they deserve knowing that their loved ones
will be protected in case of a natural disaster.
It is also important that
nursing homes be allowed to conduct background checks on potential nursing home
care employees and volunteers.Florida thankfully meets
this standard, but more than a dozen states do not.America needs a tough federal
standard to ensure patient safety.Among
other rights, H.R. 6161 ensures that all patients have the right to freedom
from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect.The bill also states that all patients have the right to have their
medical, physical, psychological, and social needs accommodated by a nursing
home.
I know that the decision to
place a loved one into a nursing home is never easy.However, you should rest easier knowing that
our Florida
seniors have caregivers who are not violent individuals or criminals.I believe all states and all Americans
deserve that same protection.We should
also sleep easier knowing that when the next hurricane hits our shores that
each senior and their family will know where they will be evacuated.That is what our seniors deserve and what the
Senior Safety and Dignity Act will
accomplish.