We keep hearing how Democratically sponsored ‘Ruthies Law’ is not being adhered to and not being enforced? The law requires nursing homes to inform family members within two hours when a resident suffers a serious injury. It also requires nursing homes to file semi-annual reports with Erie County. Well this comes as no surprise because nursing homes are shamefully so understaffed and their precious caregivers underpaid, they can’t possibly keep up with Safe Care much less the endless documentation mandated due to unsafe Staffing levels due to Residency Home Owners GREED.
Joe Lorigo “The law as it was written really never had a good enforcement provision, which is not dissimilar to a lot of the laws that have been proposed and passed recently,” Lorigo said. “We’re sort of legislating by headline and press release.”
Don’t you think it is more important to pass at least one law mandating safe staffing levels rather than pass a toothless law mandating the reporting of issues resulting from not having safe staffing levels? Democrats like to use the term “common sense” so often yet it should be common sense to pass laws like the Current Bill in committee Assembly Bill A2954 Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act. Democrats have a documented history of proposing such bills only for PR and then killing the bills in committee they command. (Versions introduced in other Legislative Sessions not passed:2009-2010: S7974, 2011-2012: S4553, 2013-2014: S3691, 2015-2016: A8580, S782, 2017-2018: A1532, and S3330.) Why, because they never intend to vote on or pass such bills. They propose these bills knowing Industry Owners and Lobbyists will contribute heavily to their campaigns in order to coerce them to let the bills die in committee.
When will YOU get involved in such critical quality of life issues? When you are in the nursing home in a group of 15 others holding up your hand pleading for care but there is only one CNA to help you all? Guess what, it will be too late then.
Frank Kolbmann
Holland, NY 14080