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Missouri Coalition for Quality Care |
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Home Missouri Coalition for Quality Care |
The 2009 legislative session offered renewed hopes for protecting Missouri's Long Term Care residents. We still have a long ways to go in our fight to protect all of our loved ones we entrust to Missouri's residential care, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and hope you will join us in our pursuit for quality care. Mandatory Liability Insurance for Long Term Care Facilities This past session, SB 467, sponsored by Senator Jolie Justus (D-10) had its first hearing in the Senate Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families committee. SB 467 would require all licensed long term care facilities to carry liability insurance with a minimum of $1million per occurrence to compensate for injuries, damages or death caused or contributed to by care received from the facility by a resident, or former resident, of the facility. Unfortunately, SB 467 did not leave the committee, so we will be back next year to make sure that facilities are being held accountable for actions that lead to injury or death of their residents. While many facilities do all they can to protect those in their care, unfortunately, others fail to follow procedures and regulations, which when not followed, lead to illness, broken bones, amputated limbs, and sadly, death. It should be the goal of all facilities to place the care and safety of their residents over the revenue they receive. MCQC believes mandatory liability insurance coverage is a good first step to deterring negligent practices. Background Checks of Long Term Care Residents As more Missourians enter into facilities for care, MCQC believes it is imperative that the facility owners, staff, other residents and their families know who else in living in the facility. The unfortunate reality is that people who have been convicted of violent assault and/or sexual predator crimes will be entering facilities as residents. For the safety of not only the residents, but also the staff, MCQC feels that the state must require background checks to be preformed on all residents, just as must be done on staff. Furthermore, policies and procedures must be in place for the staff so that if they care for one who has a violent criminal record, staff knows how to protect all residents, visitors and themselves. HB 395, sponsored by Rep. Bob Nance (R-36), which became a large long term care facility improvement bill, included language that states “a long term care facility may require a background check on residents”. This language brought to Rep. Nance by Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-21), started the discussion about violent and sexual predators who are residents of long term care facilities. MCQC will continue to work with the General Assembly to improve and strengthen this language so that facilities will know who they have living there as well as have guidelines, policies and procedures in place so that residents and their families will be aware of others in the facility and know that the facility is prepared to offer safe quality care to their loved one. MCQC still has much to do and we hope you will join us in our efforts. If you would like more information, or would like to become involved in our advocacy, please email us at info@mcqc.com. |