Current Legislation
HJ 90 Nursing Homes; DHP to study advisability of permitting use of medication aids
Department of Health Professions; medication aides in nursing homes; report. Requests that the Department of Health Professions study the advisability of permitting the use of medication aides to administer medications that would normally be self-administered to residents of nursing homes.
Staffing
Supports increased staffing levels; better training and improved supervision for direct care workers. Support increased reimbursements to nursing facilities that will be used only for staffing, training and supervision purposes. Include the strong accountability provisions to insure that the increased funds are used only for staffing, training, and supervision of staff.
Feeding Assistants
Virginia should require that "feeding assistants" have the same number of hours of training (75) and undergo the same mandatory back ground checks as is currently required for certified nursing assistants under federal law.
Bed Hold Policy
Medicaid recipients who go to the hospital in Virginia are required to pay the private daily rate to hold their bed. Virginia is one of the few states that do not require a nursing home to hold the bed of a nursing home resident whose care is paid for by Medicaid if he must leave the nursing home for a short stay in the hospital. Virginia should require nursing homes to hold the beds of hospitalized nursing home residents for at least twelve days. For periods exceeding twelve days, residents should be required to pay no more than the Medicaid reimbursement rate. Nursing homes should be mandated to inform family members of bed holding policies when the resident is hospitalized or on therapeutic leave.
Criminal Background Checks
Virginia should require nursing homes to perform nation wide background checks prior to hiring of an employee. All prospective employees should be crosschecked against other registries such as those for nursing home abuse, childcare providers, and sex abuse. There should be strict penalties for failure to do so.
Federal Matching Medicaid Funds Must Be Used For Medicaid Only
Prohibit the practice of public nursing homes getting loans, state paying back the loan and receiving "matching federal Medicaid funds". This is unethical and is an abuse of Medicaid funds when diverted to the states general fund or for any other use than nursing homes.
"Granny- Cam" Legislation
Legislation would clarify the responsibilities of the facility and the family for residents in nursing homes who wish to use video technology for the purpose of monitoring their care. Residents should not be denied admission to a nursing home or discriminated against by a nursing home if they utilize cameras at their own expense.
Mandatory Reporting of Abuse And Neglect
Ambulance drivers should be required to report issues of suspected abuse and neglect.
