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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Phyllis Mundy |
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Mundy: Aging and Older Adult Services Committee approves 7 bills
HARRISBURG, March 19 – State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Luzerne, chairman of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, said the committee today approved seven bills, including her legislation to expand access to the Pennsylvania Family Caregiver Support Program.
Mundy’s legislation (H.B. 245) would expand program eligibility by removing the relationship and residency requirements. The bill would also increase monthly reimbursements from $200 to $500 and one-time grants from $2,000 to $6,000. This change would not have an adverse impact on the state budget or taxpayers because the department would run the program within existing state appropriations.
"Current state law requires that caregivers must reside with and be related to the care recipient, but many older Pennsylvanians are cared for by family, friends or neighbors who, at this point, don’t qualify for this financial assistance," Mundy said.
"I want to ensure that we are fully utilizing state funding that’s already available for this program," she said. "These caregivers serve a specific niche in the health-care system by allowing older residents to age at home and by providing care that is less costly than nursing home care."
The following bills also were approved by the committee:
House Bill 56, introduced by state Rep. Ken Smith, D-Lackawanna, would require long-term care employees and administrators to report suspected cases of neglect.
House Bill 288, introduced by state Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lackawanna, would amend the Older Adult Protective Services Act to expand the definition of "exploitation" to include an individual acting under a power of attorney.
House Bill 309, introduced by state Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., would amend the Older Adult Protective Services Act to provide for financial disclosure requirements for attending/primary care physicians of long-term care facilities, as well as provide for consumer choice.
House Bill 312, introduced by state Rep. Mauree Gingrich, R-Lebanon, would establish the Long-Term Care Consumer Notification Act to provide for posting and disclosure requirements for long-term care providers.
House Bill 372, introduced by state Rep. Edward Staback, D-Lackawanna/Wayne, would amend the Health Care Facilities Act to outline standards for complaint investigations of long-term care nursing facilities.
House Bill 373, introduced by state Rep. Jim Wansacz, D-Lackawanna, would amend current law to create a new offense of neglect resulting in a care-dependent person’s death, and require the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to develop a sentencing enhancement for such an offense.
The bills now move to the full House for consideration.
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