Elder Law

New Nursing Home Legislation Looks to Reform Illinois

By Levin & Perconti

A group of elder advocate groups brought together by the AARP joined in Springfield to announce nursing home legislation that will reform the way nursing homes operate in Illinois. Senate Bill 685 was introduced by Heather Steans and Jacqueline Collins, both Democrats. Senator Steans stated that we have an entire group of people demanding quality care for our senior residents. As been highlighted recently, nursing home residents in Illinois have been victims of nursing home failure. Nursing home patients have been the victims of physical, mental and sexual abuse. They have been given the wrong diagnosis or wrong medications all at the hands of nursing home employees. This bill will go way beyond what has recently been proposed in the Governor?s task force. To read more reaction about the nursing home legislation, please click the link.

The new Illinois nursing home legislation will address many problems currently plaguing residents. The PR Newswire states that it will improve the quality of care for nursing home residents and create meaningful regulations for Illinois nursing homes. These include disincentives and penalties for facilities who provide inadequate care. Also, the legislation would provide requirements and regulations that promote resident safety. One of the most important provisions is that the legislation would require higher staff to patient ratios and enhanced training for the staff that provide direct care to patients. This is extremely important because many studies have found that employee to patient ratio is a vital part of a safe nursing home. The Chicago nursing home lawyers of Levin & Perconti support this legislation and ask that everyone contact their Illinois legislature voicing their support as well.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on March 09, 2010 (boomark / email).