Good Deed: Thankful to Rep. Wojcicki for help in passing elder visitation law

Gov. Bruce Rauner recently signed the Kasem-Baksys Visitation Law to help adult children unreasonably being denied visitation with their elderly parent by another family member.

Starting Jan. 1, close family members will be able to petition a court to visit their elder outside of a guardianship proceeding. This last detail is important, because many physically frail elders may still not qualify for guardianship. In other cases, the custodian of an elder who has lost competency may simply not want court interference with de facto powers the custodian has already been exercising.

Picture a blind or wheelchair-bound elder who, while mentally competent, might not physically be able to open the door. Imagine that elder’s reluctance to even try if it would mean angering the sole person providing his care and who owns the home in which the elder has been isolated for weeks or even years.

I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated and caring lead sponsor for this long-overdue law than Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove. She and her staffer Ryan Melchin marshaled key bipartisan support, resulting in overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses. I also thank Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, who carried the bill in the Senate, and Rep. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, the co-lead sponsor in the House.

Sandy Baksys
Leland Grove

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Good Deed: Thankful to Rep. Wojcicki for help in passing elder visitation law

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Susan Collins Praise Signage of Bipartisan RAISE Family Caregivers Act

Bipartisan law to establish a national strategy to support family caregivers is endorsed by over 60 aging and disability organizations

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are applauding yesterday’s signage of the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act into law. This bipartisan law establishes a national strategy to support family caregivers across the country.

The RAISE Family Caregivers Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and sustain a national strategy to recognize and support the more than 40 million family caregivers in the United States. The bipartisan law is endorsed by over 60 aging and disability organizations, including the AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Arc.

“When we work together across party lines we can get things done. This bipartisan effort is especially personal to me as I was raised by my maternal grandparents and later served as my grandmother’s primary caretaker as she grew older. I know the challenges that family caregivers face. I’ve listened to family caregivers across Wisconsin. This reform will provide much-needed support for family caregivers and help ensure that our older adults and loved ones with disabilities receive the highest quality care in their own homes,” said Senator Baldwin. “Every day, family caregivers do right by their loved ones, and I am proud to say we are doing right by them with the RAISE Family Caregivers Act being signed into law to formally recognize and support family caregivers across this country.”

“Family caregivers play an essential role in our communities by dedicating time and attention and making countless personal and financial sacrifices to care for their loved ones,” said Senator Collins.  “I am delighted that our bipartisan legislation to develop a coordinated strategic plan to leverage our resources, promote best practices, and expand services and training available to caregivers has been signed into law.  Family caregivers across America will now receive the much-needed recognition they deserve as well as the resources and training needed to better balance the full-time job of caregiving along with everything else that life brings.”

“Signing the RAISE Family Caregivers Act into law is an important step in supporting the nation’s 40 million family caregivers who take care of loved ones, many of them elderly, often with very little support or resources available to them,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “With the rapid growth of our aging population, it’s reasonable to say that many of us will end up either being a caregiver, or needing one. As a result, the potential benefits of this legislation are both critical and wide reaching.”

The RAISE Family Caregivers Act (S. 1028) was supported by a broad bipartisan coalition of cosponsors including Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Angus King (I-ME).

Important Facts on Family Caregivers:

• 40 million family caregivers in the United States provided an estimated $470 billion in uncompensated long-term care in 2013.
• Many caregivers are putting their own health at risk since caregivers experience high levels of stress and have a greater incidence of chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and depression.
• Every day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65, and as many as 90 percent of them have one or more chronic health conditions.
• Americans 85 and older are the fastest growing segment of the aging population. This population is most at risk for multiple and interacting health problems that can lead to disability and the need for round-the-clock care.

Learn more about the RAISE Family Caregivers Act here.

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U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Susan Collins Praise Signage of Bipartisan RAISE Family Caregivers Act

Christie signs next of kin notification law to prevent family heartache

Lawanna Burks - Next of Kin

TRENTON -- A new law signed by Gov. Chris Christie puts all directors of senior citizen housing developments on notice: if one of their tenants die, they better notify the next of kin.

Violators will pay a $500 fine if the call is not made within 24 hours, according to the law that took effect Monday.

A Star-Ledger report about the death of Sheila Tolor, 65, of Washington Manor in Orange in 2014 inspired the legislation. She died at home and her body was taken to the morgue, where it remained for six days.

Her daughter, Lawanna Burks, only learned of her mother's death when she dropped by for a visit. The Orange senior citizen housing authority never called the family, and told the newspaper that it expected the police would notify the next of kin.

"When a resident of a senior facility passes on, there should be procedures in place to ensure that the individual's loved ones are notified in a timely manner," said Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex), one of the bill's sponsors. "This is a heart-breaking situation for a family. This law is aimed at making sure those kinds of tragic lapses in process do not occur and that the emergency contact designated by the individual is notified."

The legislation (S1131) applies to the administrator of any senior housing complex -- whether it is a rooming house, boarding house, residential health care facility, assisted living facility, nursing home, continuing care retirement community, or public housing complex. The administrator must collect emergency contact information for every tenant, and call the family within 24 hours in the event of the tenant's death.

Burks could not be reached for comment.

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Christie signs next of kin notification law to prevent family heartache

Elder abuse legislation signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation providing extra protections for Tennessee’s vulnerable adult population.

State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) sponsored the legislation in the General Assembly.

Crimes related to the abuse, neglect and exploitation of Tennessee’s vulnerable adults continue to increase but are extremely under-reported because often these crimes are committed by loved ones or trusted caregivers.

Bill HB1824/SB1848 requires background checks for individuals who work directly with seniors and adults with disabilities, including employees of home care organizations. Prior to passage of this bill, background check requirements among industries dealing with vulnerable adults was inconsistent. This legislation brings consistency and clarity to these requirements.

The bill also requires the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD) to establish a working group to focus on the development and implementation of a field guide that will assist state law enforcement in recognizing signs of abuse, as well as provide them with a better understanding of how to investigate and report the possibility of abuse.

The newly passed legislation followed directly from the efforts of the Elder Abuse Taskforce, a group appointed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2014 to review Tennessee elder abuse laws and make recommendations for improvement. The Taskforce finished their review in the fall of 2015 and provided the General Assembly and the Governor with recommendations in the form of a formal report.

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Elder abuse legislation signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam