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THE BILL HAS 17 CO-SPONSORS IN THE HOUSE, BUT HAS NO COMPANION SENATE BILL. I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT ALL CARE IN A NURSING HOME IS DRIVEN BY THE NUMBER AND TRAINING OF HANDS ON STAFF. THE SERIES OF GAO REPORTS ISSUED OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO ON QUALITY OF CARE IN NURSING HOMES FOUND THAT NURSING HOMES ARE SEVERELY INADEQUATELY STAFFED, THAT RESIDENTS ARE ACTUALLY IN DANGER, THAT NEGLECT AND ABUSE IS RAMPANT, AND THAT 9 OUT OF 10 NURSING HOMES IN AMERICA DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE. IN VIEW OF THIS EVIDENCE, FRESH IN EVERYONE’S MIND, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD SEIZE THIS MOMENT – TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT MAY NOT SOON COME AGAIN -- AND APPLY STRONG AND CONCERTED PRESSURE TO OBTAIN FEDERALLY MANDATED STAFFING IN GOOD NUMBERS SO THAT ALL RESIDENTS IN AMERICA’S NURSING HOMES WILL HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ADEQUATE CARE. DURING THE LAST YEAR, THE NATIONAL CITIZENS COALITION FOR NURSING HOME REFORM OBTAINED HUNDREDS OF PETITIONS FROM FLORIDA VOTERS TO OUR CONGRESS DEMANDING ADEQUATE STAFFING. (A TOTAL OF 100,000 PETITIONS HAVE BEEN GATHERED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND WERE PRESENTED IN BULK TO THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING A FEW WEEKS AGO.) I EXPECT TO PRESENT COPIES OF THE FLORIDA PETITIONS TO SENATOR BOB GRAHAM WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, WITH THE REQUEST THAT HE SPONSOR THE NECESSARY COMPANION BILL IN THE SENATE. IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS ACTION, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND SEND AN E MAIL OR FAX DURING THE COMING WEEK TO SENATOR GRAHAM REQUESTING THAT HE SPONSOR THE NECESSARY COMPANION BILL TO REP. WAXMAN’S HR 4715, AND REMINDING HIM OF THE EVIDENCE ELICITED IN THE RECENT GAO REPORTS. (please note there is an underscore between bob and graham – it is bob_graham) or fax to: 1 - 202 - 224-2237 I HAVE ALREADY ASKED THE NATIONAL AARP TO ALSO SEIZE THE PRESENT OPPORTUNITY TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION BY FORCEFULLY BACKING REP. WAXMAN’S BILL, WHICH REQUIRES EVEN GREATER STAFFING THAN WAS PASSED IN THE 2001 SESSION OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE. IN ADDITION I HAVE ASKED EVERYONE ON MY E MAIL LIST THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, WHO IS AN AARP MEMBER, TO IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATE TO THE NATIONAL AARP, TO THEIR LOCAL AARP REPS, TO REP. WAXMAN, AND ALSO TO THEIR OWN CONGRESSMEN, THEIR SUPPORT OF THE WAXMAN PROPOSAL. PLEASE CONSIDER COMMUNICATING YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT YOUR NETWORKS, AND ASKING EVERYONE TO DO THE SAME. THE ADDRESSES FOR NATIONAL AARP AND REP. WAXMAN ARE: WILLIAM NOVELLI
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-29) E-MAIL TO : [email protected] MANY THANKS.
THIS BILL PROVIDED INCREASED STAFFING FOR FLORIDA’S NURSING HOMES, AND A NUMBER OF GOOD QUALITY OF CARE PROVISIONS. IN VIEW OF THE SERIES OF GAO REPORTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ISSUED OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO ON QUALITY OF CARE IN NURSING HOMES, CULMINATING IN THE FINDING THAT 9 OUT OF 10 NURSING HOMES IN AMERICA DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE, I BELIEVE WE NEED FEDERALLY MANDATED STAFFING INCREASES SO THAT ALL RESIDENTS IN AMERICA’S NURSING HOMES WILL HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ADEQUATE CARE. IN FURTHERANCE OF THIS, I HAVE ASKED THE NATIONAL AARP TO SEIZE THE PRESENT OPPORTUNITY TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION BY FORCEFULLY BACKING REP. WAXMAN’S (CA) PROPOSED BILL ON STAFFING. REP. WAXMAN’S PROPOSAL REQUIRES EVEN GREATER STAFFING THAN WAS PASSED IN SENATE BILL 1202. IN ADDITION I HAVE ASKED EVERYONE ON MY E MAIL LIST THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, WHO IS AN AARP MEMBER, TO IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATE TO THE NATIONAL AARP AND TO REP. WAXMAN, AND ALSO TO THEIR OWN CONGRESSMEN, THEIR SUPPORT OF THE WAXMAN PROPOSAL. IF YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT, AND ARE AN
AARP MEMBER – OR HAVE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY, OR A FRIEND, WHO IS
AN AARP MEMBER – PLEASE CONSIDER COMMUNICATING YOUR SUPPORT.
ADDRESSES FOR AARP AND REP. WAXMAN ARE: WILLIAM NOVELLI
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-29) e-mail address
: [email protected]
FOLLOWING THE GOVERNMENT REPORTS EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT 9 OUT OF 10 NURSING HOMES IN AMERICA DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE AND MAY IN FACT ENDANGER THEIR RESIDENTS, AND REPEATED FINDINGS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT MOST NURSING HOMES DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE NUMBERS OF STAFF TO DO THE JOB, REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D- CA) WILL PROPOSE A BILL NEXT WEEK (WEEK OF MAY 13) REQUIRING A MINIMUM STAFF RATIO AS FOLLOWS: 4.1 HOURS PER DAY PER RESIDENT, OF WHICH 1.7 HOURS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE FROM LICENSED STAFF. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD TOWARD IMPROVING QUALITY OF CARE IN OUR NURSING HOMES. ALL CARE IN A NURSING HOME IS DRIVEN
DIRECTLY BY THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF HANDS-ON STAFF.
FLORIDA HAS ALREADY RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF CARE FOR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS, AND IN THE 2001 LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENACTED A BILL BOTH INCREASING STAFF (BUT NOT TO THE FEDERALLY PROPOSED LEVEL – FLORIDA’S CURRENT STAFFING REQUIREMENT IS 2.3 HPD HANDS ON PLUS 1.0 LICENSED STAFF) AND ALSO PROVIDING A NUMBER OF EXCELLENT QUALITY OF CARE IMPROVEMENT PROVISIONS. MOST OTHER STATES HAVE NOT MOVED TOWARD THAT LEVEL AND MANY DO NOT HAVE ANY MINIMUM REQUIREMENT. WHERE YOU LIVE IN AMERICA SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE, AND ONLY A FEDERAL MANDATE CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE. THE NATIONAL CITIZENS’ COALITION FOR NURSING HOME REFORM PLACED BEFORE CONGRESS THIS WEEK 100,000 PETITIONS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, URGING FEDERAL MANDATE OF MINIMUM STAFF. IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE HELP MOVE AMERICA’S QUALITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF A VERY HELPLESS AND VULNERABLE POPULATION A MAJOR STEP FORWARD BY CONTACTING EACH OF YOUR CONGRESSMEN TODAY. THIS ISSUE IS ANOTHER KIND OF “WAR ON TERROR” – IT IS TERRIFYING TO BE PLACED IN A NURSING HOME AND KNOW THAT YOU WILL WAKE UP THERE EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE – IT IS TERRIFYING TO PLACE SOMEONE YOU LOVE IN A NURSING HOME AND BE UNABLE TO WORK DURING THE DAY OR SLEEP AT NIGHT, FEARFUL OF THEIR SAFETY. PLEASE HELP FIGHT THIS WAR.
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