Legislative Bulletin: Contact your lawmakers!

Contact your legislators now on Safe Patient Handling!

With only 11 days left of the legislative session, there is still plenty to advocate for. Included in our list of end-of-session priorities is what is being referred to as the “Safe Patient Handling Act,” A.2180-A (Gunther)-S.1123-A (Maziarz), legislation that would actually place employees ahead of nursing home residents. This bill would create a Statewide Safe Patient Handling Policy for all health care facilities in New York State, and requires facilities to establish the Safe Patient Handling Work Group to assist with compliance and training requirements reflecting the statewide policy. While our member facilities follow safe patient handling procedures, the bill remains very problematic, and goes as far as opening the door to patient abandonment. The bill could require the use of mechanical lifts in conflict with individualized care plans and would allow non-professionals to override the underlying judgments of nursing and rehabilitative professionals.

This legislation has moved to the Assembly Floor and will be taken up in the Senate Health Committee next week. LeadingAge New York opposes this bill and urges you to send a letter to your lawmakers as soon as possible, opposing this legislation!

In addition to the Safe Patient Handling Act, we urge you to contact your lawmakers on the following bills:
 

• Life Care at Home A.4611 (Schimminger)-S.2118 (Ranzenhofer): This legislation will provide affordable, accessible, continuing care services to seniors living at home through their local Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). This bill passed in the Senate and remains to be taken up by the Assembly Health Committee. LeadingAge New York supports this bill – send a letter to your lawmakers supporting this legislation, too!
   
• Two-person Assist S.5096 (Golden): This bill would enable Assisted Living Programs (ALPs) to admit or retain residents who are medically stable, but require more assistance, known as the two-person assist, with transferring. Enabling the two-person assist would help prevent unnecessary nursing home placement for some individuals who want to remain in the assisted living setting. The bill was recently introduced and referred to the Senate Health Committee; it does not currently have a sponsor in the Assembly. LeadingAge New York supports this bill – send a letter to your lawmakers supporting this legislation, too!

For assistance with these advocacy opportunities or to learn more about these critical pieces of legislation, please contact Alyssa Lovelace at 518-867-8844 or Ami Schnauber at 518-867-8854.