ATLANTA – Legislation bolstering regulations for assisted senior-living facilities, personal care homes and memory centers in Georgia cleared a state House committee Tuesday.
House Bill 987 aims to tighten rules on assisted-living and long-term care facilities for seniors following reports of elder neglect, poor care and financial troubles in some facilities in the state.
“We have a lot of good assisted living facilities in our state. But as always, it seems that the bad guys come along and they put a spoiler for the good people,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta.
The bill passed unanimously out of the House Health and Human Services Committee, which Cooper chairs, amid concerns over new rules for training and the costs of extra staffing.
Specifically, Cooper’s bill would require at least one direct-care staff member for every 15 senior residents during waking hours, and one for every 20 residents at night.
It would also require a licensed or registered professional nurse to be on-site at assisted living facilities for a certain amount of time each week and require all staff to undergo training in elderly and disabled-adult care.
The bill also includes a slate of rules to tighten staffing standards and training for memory care centers, which provide services for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive conditions.
Some lawmakers on the House committee questioned Tuesday why these types of rules were not already in state law and whether the Department of Community Health, which oversees senior-care facilities, needs more funding to better enforce safety and health standards.
“This seems like it should have been happening a long time ago,” said Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, D-Snellville.
Cooper traced issues with the facilities in part to the state’s shortage of licensed nurses and the unpredictable impact on facilities as Georgia’s senior population continues growing.
She also said Gov. Brian Kemp has committed to adding certification courses for assistant nurse practitioners to the state-funded HOPE grant program, which covers tuition costs.
“This is a big plus,” Cooper said about the grant addition.
Still, some lawmakers wondered if the new staffing requirements would create financial issues for care facilities.
Rep. John LaHood, R-Valdosta, who owns and operates several senior-living facilities and is a co-sponsor of the bill, said residents would likely have to foot a bit more of the bill if expenses go up.
“This will absolutely have to be passed on to the consumer,” LaHood said. “We were mindful of that and tried to tread lightly.”
Beyond staffing changes, Cooper’s bill would require a 60-day advance written notice of impending bankruptcy proceedings or property evictions, and a 14-day notice prior to ownership changes that could disrupt living arrangements.
Also, facility administrators would need to be newly licensed by a state board under the bill. Fines against facilities would be set at a minimum of $5,000 if a resident dies or is seriously injured.