House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

Posted:	December 2, 2013 11:18 AM
From:	Representative Rick Saccone
To:	All House members
Subject:	Notice of Violations Found Against Long-Term Care Facilities

I am introducing legislation that would require the Department of Public Welfare to provide immediate notification of the violations found to owners of long-term care facilities under the Department’s jurisdiction when a situation arises that requires the emergency removal of residents from the facility. Currently, if DPW finds evidence of gross incompetence, negligence, or misconduct in a long term care facility, mistreatment or abuse of clients, or a situation likely to constitute an immediate and serious danger to the life or health of the clients, they take immediate action to remove the clients from the facility or agency. This is for the safety and well-being of the residents. However, nothing in current law or regulation requires DPW to provide immediate notice of the violations to the owner of the facility in emergency situations that require the immediate removal of residents. My legislation will require such notice in writing in order to provide due process to long-term care facility owners. While the safety and well-being of all long-term care facility residents should always remain the foremost concern, owners of such facilities should also be provided protection, as their businesses are placed at risk. This is particularly true when disgruntled employees make false accusations against an employer that could result in the facility’s loss of license and the unnecessary relocation of residents.
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Introduced as HB1894