The state of California approved nine new rules for senior housing facilities aimed at protecting the health and safety of residents.
California Gov. Jerry Brown approved the nine bills Sunday. The legislation is meant to “protect the health and safety of seniors residing in assisted living facilities across the state, according to a written statement from his office.
The regulations include increasing training requirements for direct care staff; requiring resident representation on governing boards of residential care facilities for the elderly; enacting additional staffing and health and safety requirements at elderly care facilities; increasing training requirements for administrators and more.
In addition, one of the new bills SB 895 mandates that residential care facilities for the elderly remedy licensing deficiencies within 10 days of notification.
This bill, authored by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-Hayward), also requires the California Department of Social Services (DSS) to post online how Californians may obtain facility inspection reports, as well as establishes that DSS should make inspection reports available on its public website by Jan. 1, 2020.
In October 2013—after DSS issued an order to close Valley Springs Manor in Castro Valley—19 assisted living residents were left without adequate care for two days, according to Corbett’s office. Earlier this year, DSS released a departmental report noting the lack of appropriate oversight and follow-up by the department during that assisted living facility closure process.
“SB 895 [is] a vital bill that legislatively codifies much needed protections for vulnerable assisted living residents in the East Bay and throughout California,” Corbett says in a written statement. “We must continue to work together to ensure that RCFEs promptly address any deficiencies found during inspections, as well as arm residents and their families with prompt and accurate information.”
See the complete list of the nine bills here.
Written by Cassandra Dowell
