Verschoore Salutes National Nursing Home Week

 In honor of the upcoming National Nursing Home Week, state Rep. Pat Verschoore (D-Milan) is highlighting legislation that will help “Fulfill the Promise” we have made to our loved ones who reside in nursing homes.

“Nursing homes provide incredibly valuable and necessary services to the older Americans who need a helping hand in their life,” said Verschoore. “All too often, we only hear about horror stories from the few truly negligent nursing homes. While we need to ensure our seniors are safe, we also want to show our appreciation for those nursing homes that help our seniors live fulfilling healthy and active lives.”

This year’s theme for National Nursing Home Week is “Fulfilling the Promise,” which encourages nursing home staff to ensure that residents are living life to their fullest potential. National Nursing Home Week salutes nursing homes and their staff during the week of May 8-14.

Verschoore has backed significant reform legislation in the past year to make certain that when families leave their loved ones at nursing homes, those facilities really are “fulfilling the promise” by keeping residents safe and medically well-cared for. Last year the General Assembly passed a law that increased the number of nursing home inspectors and enhanced criminal background checks of new nursing home residents in order to keep the small number of dangerous residents in separate and secure environments.  

This year, Verschoore supported House Bill 1534, which would require nursing homes, in the event of a resident filing a complaint with the Department of Public Health, to provide the resident’s family with a list of employees with access to the resident, the resident’s room, or the resident’s financial records. The legislation also mandates training for employees in managing elderly residents with hearing, memory, physical, and cognitive impairments.

“Creating a safe atmosphere in nursing homes and adequately protecting these residents is everyone’s top priority,” said Verschoore. “Residents and their families all deserve the peace of mind of knowing they are being taken care of by someone who is well-trained and has their best interest in mind.”

For more information on this or any of Verschoore’s legislation, please contact his constituent services office at (309) 558-3612.