| The time has come to ask for your help.
The Florida Legislature has begun to consider nursing home reforms and
whether to maintain the rights of the nursing home patients.
AARP's position on this is simple and clear: AARP's concern is not with the financial well being of the nursing home industry, or the lack of profit being made by nursing homes, our concern is for the safety and well being of the residents of those homes. After all, they have no choice about being there. We believe that it is time for the Florida Legislature to address the quality of care problems in Florida's nursing homes. In regard to tort reform, we believe that nursing home residents, or their families in the case of wrongful death, must continue to have the basic right to sue a nursing home if their safety is to be ensured. Don't be misled, the proposal before the legislature appears to continue the right of nursing home residents and their families to bring suit. But it is "legislative slight of hand" when you get into the fine print it is practically impossible to do so. AARP does not object to changing the present law to a more common sense approach to dealing with the problem. In fact, we will present such a compromise in Tallahassee, next week. But the proposals of the "Task Force on Accountability and Availability" go too far, by taking away nursing home residents basic rights. Under today's law in Florida, although he tried, even the Governor can't close Florida's bad nursing homes. The threat of legal action is the only remaining protection for people in these bad homes. Nursing home residents in Florida must be able to expect that the facility providing their 24-hour care meets minimum federal and state standards. Their last rights must not be taken from them. At the urging of the nursing home industry and their special interest lobbyists, the Senate and House health care committees are now holding hearings to consider changing existing nursing home legislation to protect the nursing homes, not the people in them. The nursing home industry is upset with AARP's position on this very important issue, and is telling the committees, and the Governor, that AARP members in Florida don't agree with AARP on this position. The nursing home industry is telling the legislature that AARP is supporting the "Trial Bar". AARP is not supporting the trial bar. The trial bar is perfectly capable of supporting themselves. AARP is asking you to support the residents of those nursing homes, who can not speak for themselves. It is important that the lawmakers hear from you. Please contact your legislators, who begin their session this week. You can reach them through Online Sunshine, the Legislature's website, at http://www.leg.state.fl.us. Urge your legislators to first consider the well-being and protection of Florida's nursing home patients. Those helpless patients are relying on you to speak for them. They, and we, thank you for your help. If you want more information on this issue, check the Florida AARP WebSite:
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