AARP Joins PA Assisted Living Consumer Alliance as State Regulations Near Completion
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(December 2008) — A prominent advocacy group for older Americans has joined the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Consumer Alliance (PALCA) as regulations for oversight of Pennsylvania’s Assisted Living industry are being finalized by the Department of Public Welfare.
AARP Pennsylvania, which has argued for state licensing rules for assisted living for more than a decade, adds a significant voice to the 31-member alliance. AARP has about 40 million members in the nation and 1.9 million in Pennsylvania.
Read more: AARP Joins PA Assisted Living Consumer Alliance as State Regulations Near Completion
Response/Solution To Better Care For The Elderly
Pa Assisted Living Consumer Alliance Responds To Regulatory Commission Report On Assisted Living Facilities
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(October 2008)—Concerns raised by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission about Pennsylvania’s first ever rules for assisted living facilities raise important questions about how adequate quality and consumer protection can be achieved. Meaningful regulations are fundamental for establishing basic standards for assisted living facilities. As the IRRC points out, the draft regulations from the Department of Public Welfare need more work before they can be finalized.
Significant improvements must be made to ensure that the final regulations protect and serve older Pennsylvanians and those with disabilities. Such changes are well justified when one considers the range of care assisted living residents may require. Facilities that currently call themselves “assisted living” in Pennsylvania have never before been licensed and approved as such.
Alissa Halperin, Senior Attorney and Deputy Director of Policy Advocacy at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, the organization leading the efforts of the PA Assisted Living Consumer Alliance (PALCA www.paassistedlivingconsumerallinace.org ), said:
Proposed Assisted Living Regulations Would Allow Facilities to Rent Inaccessible Rooms to Persons Who Use Wheelchairs or Walkers
Consumer coalition calls for quality standards to protect Pennsylvania families from inadequate regulations
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(September 2008) — Pennsylvania’s proposed assisted living regulations would allow facilities to rent rooms to residents that do not meet current safety standards and are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs or walkers.
While new assisted living construction would be required to comply with state minimum standards or practices, as well as federal accessibility requirements, existing facilities would be exempt under the Department of Public Welfare’s new proposed Assisted Living regulations. Available data from 1999 showed that at any one time no less than 21 percent of Assisted Living Residents rely on wheelchairs and 44 percent of Assisted Living Residents rely on walkers.
Assisted Living Staff Will Need Less Training than Make-up Artists and Hair Braiders
Consumer coalition calls for quality standards to protect Pennsylvania families from inadequate regulations
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(September 2008)—Pennsylvania’s proposed training requirements for direct care workers at an assisted living facility are considerably less stringent than those for several other occupations that don’t require a college degree. For instance, a natural hair braider must log 300 more training hours than would be required of a direct care worker under the Department of Public Welfare’s new proposed Assisted Living regulations.
Direct care staff members have a wide range of responsibilities in the care of frail elderly and persons with disabilities. They need to understand how to care for people with cognitive impairments, to understand nutrition and food handling, and use universal precautions. They need to know how to provide recreation and socialization activities and help residents with their daily needs such as feeding, dressing and bathing.
New Assisted Living Regulations Do Little to Protect Consumers
Alliance asks the public to make their voices heard on fundamental rights
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(August 2008)—Proposed rules to cover assisted living facilities fall far short of what is needed to ensure that Pennsylvania’s elderly and those with disabilities receive adequate care in safe surroundings, according to the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Consumer Alliance (PALCA).
Fundamental consumer protections are missing from the proposed regulations. As proposed, a consumer would have to move in, sign a contract for residency and services, and begin payment to the facility weeks before the facility would be required to identify the consumer’s care needs and explain to the consumer and her family how they proposed to meet those needs or even how much it would cost. As proposed, direct care staff would not have to complete a minimum amount of training hours and not all direct care staff would need any training in first aid or CPR. As proposed, facilities that exist as of the day the regulations take effect would not have to meet the best available standards or practices for fire safety or even wheelchair accessibility.
Read more: New Assisted Living Regulations Do Little to Protect Consumers
New Coalition Presses for Quality Standards
Consumers and advocates join the fight to protect Pennsylvania families from inadequate regulations
PHILADELPHIA, PA—(July 7, 2008)—A new organization of consumers, family members and advocates for the elderly and persons with disabilities is pushing for quality standards in Pennsylvania state regulations covering assisted living facilities. The Pennsylvania Assisted Living Consumer Alliance (PALCA) formed this year to ensure that new licensing rules will protect elderly and persons with disabilities. About 50,000 people in Pennsylvania currently live in facilities that may call themselves assisted living facilities.
It’s essential that we get these regulations right to protect all of Pennsylvania’s families,” said Alissa Halperin, Senior Attorney and Deputy Director of Policy Advocacy at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, the organization leading the efforts of the Alliance. “We are committed to championing and supporting individual rights and quality care for everyone.” The Pennsylvania Health Law Project is primarily using operating support provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts to fund the campaign.
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