Health Care Reform Provides Additional Protections Against Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Good news for Chicago, Illinois nursing home patients. The new health care reform bill, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama, includes provisions designed to improve nursing home patient safety and prevent abuse and neglect. The legislation includes the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, the Elder Justice Act, and the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act.
Under the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, a national program of criminal background checks will hopefully keep abusive nursing home workers away from residents. Meantime, the Elder Justice Act requires that all nursing home abuse and neglect is reported. It will also improve public agencies’ ability to properly investigate allegations of neglect and abuse while requiring that long-term care ombudsmen are better trained. $32.5 million will go toward grants supporting ombudsmen programs.
The Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act will give consumers easy access to information about assisted living facility staffing turnover, inspection reports, and sanctions while requiring that nursing home operators, owners, and financiers provide greater disclosure. Also, $400 million will go toward adult protection services funding.
That the federal government and Illinois officials, including Governor Pat Quinn’s Nursing Home Safety Task Force, are committed to protecting patients from abuse and neglect are two developments that our Chicago, Illinois nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers are pleased to see. Unfortunately, nursing home neglect and abuse and patient violence continue to be huge problems at Illinois assisted living facilities. If you suspect that a nursing home worker or another patient is abusing your loved one, you must remove your relative from the abusive situation immediately, report the incident, and contact our Chicago nursing home negligence law firm to explore your legal options.
Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act
Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act
Related Web Resources:
Health Care Reform Bill Will Also Improve Long-Term Care, NCCNHR, March 24, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Health Reform
Nursing Home Safety Task Force, Illinois.gov
