U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, has joined a bipartisan group of Senators who are cosponsoring legislation that would require mandatory criminal background checks for potential long-term care employees, including nursing home and home health workers. This legislation, The Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, would build upon the success of a pilot program already underway in seven states.
“Abused and neglected elderly persons are among the most isolated victims of family violence. Tragically, they are most often abused by the very people who are closest to them – their spouses or their children – and the abuse happens in what should be the safety and security of their own homes,” said Senator Collins. “Older persons in nursing homes and other residential care settings, however, are also vulnerable, as are the increasing number of rail elderly being cared for in their homes by professional caregivers. While the vast majority of professional caregivers are conscientious and dedicated, an unfortunate few are not, with sometimes tragic results.”
Statistics show that as many as 84 percent of elder abuse cases are never reported. However, it is estimated that as many as 15,000 senior citizens in Maine are the victims of abuse each year.
The legislation that Senator Collins has cosponsored builds on the success of a pilot program authorized in the Medicare Modernization Act that is currently being conducted in seven states (Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wisconsin). Under a program in Michigan, more than 3,000 people with records of abuse or a disqualifying criminal history were identified and prevented from taking jobs caring for our frail elderly.
The Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act has been endorsed by the AARP, the Elder Justice Coalition, the American Health Care Association, and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
###