Our friends at the Illinois Governor’s (the current governor, not Apprentice Blagojevich) office sent over the the final report of the Nursing Home Safety Task Force was presented to Governor Pat Quinn last week. It details recommendations to ensure the safety of nursing home residents and build a better system of treatment for people in need of care for physical or mental illnesses, disorders or disabilities in Illinois. One of the topics that Senior Housing News strives to avoid covering/highlighting are the frequent discussions and articles on nursing home safety and abuse that are alarming and sensationalist. However, we felt that the report was more constructive than caustic and alarmist and worth sharing.
Among the Nursing Home Safety Task Force recommendations:
- Reform the admissions and assessment of people in need of care to ensure they are referred to the residential setting most appropriate to their individual needs.
- Raise and enforce higher standards of treatment in all residential settings.
- Expand residential options and services in home and community-based settings to allow each individual to achieve his or her highest level of independent functioning and ensure that only those people who require 24-hour care are placed in nursing homes.
“I want to thank the Nursing Home Safety Task Force members for their thorough and thoughtful work. Their recommendations point the way to a system of long-term care that respects the needs and rights of all residents,” said Governor Quinn. “I look forward to evaluating their proposals, and working with legislators, advocates and state agencies to make these reforms a reality.”
