Bill > SB00975

This bill affirms that residents of long-term care facilities have the right to treat their living quarters as their homes and have the same rights as all other state residents, including the right to use technology of their choice for purposes such as virtual visitation and filing grievances. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It establishes a patients' bill of rights for long-term care facility residents, including the right to associate and communicate privately, purchase and use technology, and file grievances without fear of retaliation. 2. It requires managed residential communities to have a written bill of rights for residents, including the right to use technology for private communications and virtual visitation. 3. It grants long-term care facility residents the right to use technology for virtual monitoring and visitation, as long as certain conditions are met, such as obtaining consent from roommates. The facility must provide internet access and a power source for this technology at no cost to the resident. 4. It provides nursing homes with immunity from liability for issues related to residents' use of technology, such as privacy violations or damage to the equipment. The bill aims to strengthen the rights and autonomy of long-term care residents, particularly in their ability to use technology to stay connected with their loved ones and advocate for their needs.

Health and Social Services

Aging Committee (J)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00975&which_year=2021