HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut elder care is being given focus as congress and state legislators propose bills to reform nursing homes and home healthcare.
On the state side, House Bills 5001 and 5046 would make a variety of changes like limit nursing home room occupancy and create an online portal where home ratings and reviews can be accessed.
In light of the murder of home healthcare worker Joyce Grayson in Willimantic in Oct of 2023, the bill would also mandate that all home care employees wear credentials. Still, state lawmakers say more should be done.
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“We have to look at devices that track the employee. Lots of different agencies have a GPS on your phone so when you turn it on we know where you are going and how long you are there,” explained State Rep. Jane Garibay, the co-chair of the legislature’s Aging Committee.
From the gold dome of the state capitol to the D.C. capitol rotunda, Sen. Richard Blumenthal was in West Hartford Monday touting his newest bill. It would ban nursing homes from making residents sign forced arbitration agreements.
Daniel Beem of the Community Ombudsman Program said, “It ensures that individuals and their families retain their fundamental rights to seek resolution through the courts.”
The contracts are a common practice that essentially limits a resident’s legal right to take their case to court before a dispute even occurs.
“Giving them explicit notice before they sign anything because a lot of seniors go into homes and they’ll sign anything,” said Blumenthal.
The measure is in stark contrast to the civil immunity Gov. Ned Lamont ordered for over a year during COVID which shielded nursing homes from accountability.
Since COVID, a handful of for-profit Connecticut nursing homes have closed. A few others were shut down by the state over safety concerns.
The long term care industry is in crisis as companies grapple with staffing shortages, low census numbers as more people look to age at home…and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates struggle to keep up with costs. “I think the levels of reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid need to be reexamined,” added Blumenthal.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Connecticut has the 7th oldest population of any state in the country so issues surrounding elder care impact a lot of people. Both state lawmakers and Sen. Blumenthal tell me they are confident these bills will pass with bipartisan support.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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