PA Needs Strong Rules on Assisted Living

PHILADEPHIA, PA—(June 2009)—The Post-Gazette story about the residents of a personal care home in Hampton suddenly finding themselves homeless and without care "Care Home Residents Told to Leave," May 31) underscores the urgent need for Pennsylvania to finalize and promulgate strong regulations to protect residents of our state's assisted living facilities.

Such regulation would prevent outrageous practices such as those that forced the Department of Public Welfare to close the Bon Venue personal care home over the protests of an owner who failed to provide sufficient food. It should surprise no one that Bon Venue issued worthless paychecks to hardworking caregivers who, despite this abuse, continue to look after residents until they can find new homes. Negligence toward residents and injustice for caregivers often go hand in hand.

Pennsylvania must regulate assisted living facilities so that they provide quality care for a wide range of residents in an environment that supports their independence, choice and health. Standards must be established to ensure an adequate number of well-trained staff to guarantee that care needs are correctly identified and properly addressed, and to recognize and protect residents' rights.

The assisted living industry in our state will be caring for increasing numbers of Pennsylvanians and we must make sure these facilities are places where we confidently can entrust the care of our mothers, husbands or grandparents. We should not be afraid that those responsible for supporting our loved ones are instead harming them. Bon Venue is not an isolated case. Read more about the problem at www.paassistedlivingconsumeralliance.org.

NEAL BISNO
President
SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania
Harrisburg