COVID shed a harsh light on the nursing home industry’s worst failings. One of those failings was how unprepared they were for a pandemic. And even worse, how unprepared they were for meeting the social and mental health needs of residents during a time of isolation. The response was the Essential Caregivers Act (S.3492). Today, your support is needed to finally get this essential piece of elder care legislation passed.
What is The Essential Caregivers Act?
This fantastic piece of legislation is designed to ensure residents always have a family member, friend, or designated caregiver by their side. In times of crisis, lockdown, and pandemics, residents will not be abandoned in their long-term care facilities. Instead, a designated caregiver, an essential member of a residents’ care and advocate team, will have consistent access to the resident.
This is important because we saw a rise in deaths, abuse, stress, anxiety, and more during the pandemic. All of this is indicative of the importance of social contact with family and friends, but also the presence of these advocates has on the quality of care.
“The bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted.”
PC: Connor Gan via Unsplash
What is in the Essential Caregivers Act?
If you are curious about the new act and how it will specifically benefit residents, there are a few pieces of the legislation itself that you should know about.
This bill is designed to strike a balance between protecting public health and safeguarding the wellbeing of residents. Specifically, the Essential Caregivers Act would allow a limited number of caregivers into a facility during a public health emergency.
The Essential Caregiver program applies to skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Any such facility receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding is required to participate in the program.
Essential Caregivers will still have restricted access to the resident. However, any access is a positive force in a resident’s life. During a period in which regular visitation is restricted by order of a Federal, State, or local authority, facilities may institute further restrictions of their own. However, this bill puts a limit on those restrictions and ensures residents will not have to suffer prolonged isolation from loved ones and advocates.
Why We Support the Essential Caregivers Act
We routinely write about how the presence alone of family and friends improves care. Not only are you able to catch laxes in care before they escalate to something worse, but you are better able to spot changes in resident behavior that could indicate abuse, help staff so they are not as overwhelmed, and be a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
When you, as the visitor and advocate, are stripped away from a resident’s daily routine and care, it can have a massive detrimental impact. As advocates for all residents, we are just as passionate about stopping abuse and neglect before they begin as we are about seeking justice for abused residents in the courtroom.
How To Support the Essential Caregivers Act
The primary way you can support the Essential Caregivers Act is to contact your representatives. Voice your support and encourage them to vote YES when this bill is on the floor. Additionally, encourage your representative to become a sponsor of this bill. Every bill needs a certain number of sponsors to move forward, so every additional name helps!
Find your House representative here. Find your Senator here.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law (866-747-1389) today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
Your Support is Needed: Essential Caregivers Act
COVID shed a harsh light on the nursing home industry’s worst failings. One of those failings was how unprepared they were for a pandemic. And even worse, how unprepared they were for meeting the social and mental health needs of residents during a time of isolation. The response was the Essential Caregivers Act (S.3492). Today, your support is needed to finally get this essential piece of elder care legislation passed.
What is The Essential Caregivers Act?
This fantastic piece of legislation is designed to ensure residents always have a family member, friend, or designated caregiver by their side. In times of crisis, lockdown, and pandemics, residents will not be abandoned in their long-term care facilities. Instead, a designated caregiver, an essential member of a residents’ care and advocate team, will have consistent access to the resident.
This is important because we saw a rise in deaths, abuse, stress, anxiety, and more during the pandemic. All of this is indicative of the importance of social contact with family and friends, but also the presence of these advocates has on the quality of care.
What is in the Essential Caregivers Act?
If you are curious about the new act and how it will specifically benefit residents, there are a few pieces of the legislation itself that you should know about.
Why We Support the Essential Caregivers Act
We routinely write about how the presence alone of family and friends improves care. Not only are you able to catch laxes in care before they escalate to something worse, but you are better able to spot changes in resident behavior that could indicate abuse, help staff so they are not as overwhelmed, and be a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
When you, as the visitor and advocate, are stripped away from a resident’s daily routine and care, it can have a massive detrimental impact. As advocates for all residents, we are just as passionate about stopping abuse and neglect before they begin as we are about seeking justice for abused residents in the courtroom.
How To Support the Essential Caregivers Act
The primary way you can support the Essential Caregivers Act is to contact your representatives. Voice your support and encourage them to vote YES when this bill is on the floor. Additionally, encourage your representative to become a sponsor of this bill. Every bill needs a certain number of sponsors to move forward, so every additional name helps!
Find your House representative here.
Find your Senator here.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law (866-747-1389) today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
Read more about how the Los Angeles Social Isolation Impact Coalition is Battling Loneliness
Find information about Elder Care Policies for the Caregivers Themselves