Call to action: use your voice to implement change!
At the Center for Elder Law & Justice, we advocate for quality of life and quality of care improvements in WNY adult care facilities and nursing homes. Below are two advocacy actions residents, families, and their supporters can take to make their voices heard and improve the quality of life for older adults and persons with disabilities who reside in these settings.
Contact your NYS Legislators: Support A.196C/S.1576C to Protect Resident in Adult Care Facilities
The Center for Elder Law & Justice supports A.196C (Gottfried)/S1576C (Rivera) because it deters the worst abuses in adult care facilities that put resident health and safety at risk and provides important consumer protections to residents and their families. This bill adjusts the maximum fine from $1,000 (set in 1977) to $2,000 per day per violation, and makes it easier for residents and families to evaluate facilities’ quality and inspection history by making Department of Health inspection reports more accessible.
We join with over 25 organizations supporting this bill and urge residents, their families and the community to join in this support by contacting your State Senator and Assembly Member. This important bill needs to be called to vote and passed prior to the end of the 2022 legislative session, which is June 2nd. We urge you to contact your Legislators using the Long Term Care Community Coalition tool, phone, or email.
To find your State Senator: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
To find your State Assembly Member: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
Tell CMS to Establish a Minimum Staffing Standard in Nursing Homes
On April 15, 2022, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that included requests for information regarding the implementation of a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. CMS states it plans to propose a minimum staffing standard within one year. The Center for Elder Law & Justice strongly supports the Biden Administration’s plan to set mandatory minimum staffing levels. Staffing matters and insufficient staffing is directly tied to poor quality care in nursing homes. CMS needs to hear from residents, their families, and other supporters. We urge the public to share their stories with CMS. To assist in this, the National Consumer Voice has prepared an overview on submitting public comments, and a draft outline for use. The National Consumer Voice and other organizations also hosted a webinar, which is available here.
