CANHR’s 2008 Advocacy Campaign for Quality Care

Updated 04/10/2008

The 2008 legislative session will be a busy one, with hundreds of bills introduced that would affect nursing home care, RCFEs, elder financial abuse and the aged, blind and the disabled. We urge you to join CANHR’s 2008 Advocacy Campaign for Quality Care and to write to your state Senators and Assembly representatives regarding these bills. Following are just some of the major bills that CANHR will be sponsoring and supporting during this session. Please watch our web site for updates on these and other bills of interest:

SB 535 (Kuehl): Access to Nursing Home Information
Although DPH has recently established Internet access to consumers to specific information about nursing homes, a great deal of pertinent information has not been included. This bill specifies the comprehensive information that should be made accessible electronically and through consumer information profiles to consumers.

SB 489 (Steinberg): CCRC Closure Protections
This bill would impose requirements on a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) provider faced with closure to ensure residents have adequate time to find new housing. Co-sponsor: California Continuing Care Residents Association (CALCRA).

SB 1140 (Steinberg): Elder Financial Abuse Protection Bill
This bill would reform the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (EADACPA) to help ensure that seniors can seek civil recourse for elder financial abuse, make certain that commercial elder financial abusers are held responsible for their actions, and provide a statute of limitations for these cases where there is none.

Support:

AB 2157 (Horton): Nursing Home Management
Would require a management company to obtain the Department of Public Health’s approval before assuming operational control of a skilled nursing facility.

AB 2475 (Horton): Ban of Admissions
Would allow the Department of Public Health to ban understaffed nursing homes from admitting new residents.

AB 2614 (Houston): Liability for State Hospital Costs
Would eliminate the liability of relatives for the costs of the care of a patient in a state hospital for the mentally disordered if the person has become a patient pursuant to the provisions of the penal code.

SB 1170 (Alquist): Regulations for ICF/DD- Nursing
Would require the Department to promulgate regulations governing ICF/DD-Nursing facilities by January 1, 2009.

SB 1474 (Alquist): Regulations for Chronic Dailysis Clinics
Would require the Department to promulgate regulations for chronic dialysis clinics.

CANHR will likely be supporting a number of other worthy bills over the next month or so, in addition to opposing cuts in the care of the aged, blind or disabled.

Click here to view CANHR’s past twenty–three years of Legislative Advocacy.