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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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House Democratic Leadership www.pahouse.com |
  
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House votes to further protect elderly in long-term care settings
HARRISBURG, May 12 – The state House of Representatives today sent to the Senate a bipartisan package of bills that would further protect residents in long-term care facilities, House Democratic leaders announced.
Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the legislation would fix several deficiencies in current law and better arm patients and their families with information about Pennsylvania long-term care facilities and the doctors who work in them.
Among the proposals is a bill (H.B. 2036) that would impose harsher penalties when the neglect of a care-dependent person results in his or her death. Under the bill, individuals convicted of neglect that results in death could receive a prison sentence of up to 40 years, the equivalent of third-degree murder.
Measures that would require employees and administrators of long-term care facilities to report cases of residents who refuse care or refuse to care for themselves (H.B. 2109) and require long-term care facilities and providers, in coordination with area agencies on aging and licensing agencies, to make record of patient transfers from one facility to another (H.B. 2161) also are part of the plan.
"People living in long-term care facilities are among our most vulnerable residents," DeWeese said. "These improvements to current law work to put more residents on the radar so that families, outside agencies and ombudsmen have a better record of patients who may need additional attention or encouragement. And they would ensure that the punishment of those who neglect our elderly fits the crime."
Other bills in the package would require attending and primary doctors with a financial or ownership interest in a long-term care facility to disclose it to prospective and current facility residents and their legal representatives (H.B. 2114) and set posting and disclosure requirements for long-term care facilities and home- and community-based providers to ensure consumer access to current license information, inspection reports and enforcement actions (H.B. 2242).
Democratic Whip Keith McCall, D-Carbon, said those bills would empower current and prospective long-term care consumers to make informed decisions about the facility or provider they are using or considering.
"Knowledge is power," McCall said. "And in this case, the knowledge derived from these postings and disclosures can literally mean the difference between life and death for some of our most frail residents."
DeWeese praised Aging and Older Services Committee Chairwoman Phyllis Mundy, D-Luzerne, for her work on the package.
"Since taking the majority committee post, Chairwoman Mundy has examined every nook and cranny of our state's long-term care facilities on behalf of residents and their families," DeWeese said. "This well-researched package is a testament to her leadership on this issue and her commitment to Pennsylvania's elderly population."
The bills now go to the Senate for consideration.
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CONTACT: Tom Andrews 717-783-3797 |