In 2013, a surge of news reports brought to light many issues in assisted living homes in the state of California. As a result, new bills have been proposed to seek greater reform in the regulation of the state’s 7,570 nursing homes.
To date, 12 reform bills have been approved by the Legislature this year, two of which have been signed by Governor Jerry Brown. The Governor will now be reviewing 10 new bills, as advocates push to tighten state oversight of assisted living facilities.
Issues covered in these bills include civil penalties for poor care that leads to the death of a resident, more stringent training for staff members, a Bill of Rights for residents, and a more timely inspection of homes.
Considering that the fastest growing segment of our population is seniors who are 85 and older, these bills will play an important role in reforming nursing home regulations. Governor Brown has until the end of this month to sign or veto the bills.
Source: CHCR Center for Health Reporting, “’Historic’ bills would toughen oversight of state’s nursing homes,” September 05, 2014.