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Virginia Legal News

Senate bill aims to protect nursing home residents from abuse


Posted on Mar 04, 2009

A bill introduced by the leader of the Senate Special Committee on Aging aims at protecting nursing home and long-term care facility residents from abuse.  The legislation, championed by Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat from Wisconsin, would create a national database of criminal records.  The program is estimated to cost $100 million over a three year time period.

 

Currently, even though many states require background checks for nursing home employees, it can be difficult – if not impossible – for employers to determine if applicants have committed crimes in other states.  This means that applicants with a history of abuse or a background in violent crime can be hired to work with the elderly, unbeknownst to the facility.

 

Comprehensive background checks are needed, argues Senator Kohl, because of cases where nursing home residents have been raped, abused, or injured by caregivers with known criminal backgrounds.  Providing a national system to allow states to cross-reference their criminal records could prevent these types of situations in long-term care facilities.

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