Bill > A3842

Introduced Session

This bill makes various revisions to nursing home regulations. Under the bill, the Department of Health (department) is to conduct unannounced, biennial, on-site inspections of each nursing home in this State. The department is to post on its Internet website each inspection report prepared following an inspection of a nursing home within 90 days of the inspection. The bill provides that a nursing home is to afford each resident the opportunity to visit with a physician or an advanced practice nurse every 15 days, if such periodic visits are medically necessary. The bill amends P.L.2020, c.112 to increase the nursing home staff-to-resident ratio in the following manner: (1) one certified nurse aide to every seven residents, instead of eight residents as provided under current law, for the day shift; and (2) one direct care staff member to every nine residents, instead of 10 residents as provided under current law, for the evening shift. The bill amends P.L.1977, c.239 to require the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to employ geriatric social workers to meet with nursing home residents on a regular basis for the purpose of addressing concerns regarding the legal, financial, and service needs of nursing home residents, in a manner to be determined by the ombudsman. The bill appropriates funds to the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman that are necessary to pay for the office's compliance with the bill's provisions.

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Paul Kanitra (R)*,  Greg McGuckin (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee (on 02/22/2024)

Official Document