Bills look to improve care, hold Arizona assisted living facilities accountable

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The fight to improve patient care at assisted living facilities is heating up at the state capitol.

Several bills designed to hold the facilities more accountable have been introduced and are receiving bipartisan support. Allegations of abuse, neglect and downright dysfunction continue to pop up at assisted living centers across the state.

Jennifer Awinda is a memory care facility manager who has spent 20-plus years taking care of vulnerable patients. She recently decided to walk away from the job because of the frustration of not being able to do her job. “We’re being beaten up from the top and being beaten up from the bottom, and so that’s why I took my license off the wall three months ago,” said Awinda. “I just can’t; I can’t be responsible for 100 patients with dementia when I don’t have support.” Awinda claims widespread staffing issues, a lack of training, and accountability are the biggest problems facing long-term care facilities in Arizona.

AARP of Arizona director Dana Kennedy is on the frontline fighting to improve seniors’ care. State lawmakers are considering a number of bills to improve patient care at assisted living and memory care communities. “Many of the elected officials had stories that have happened to their own families, or know somebody that this happened to,” said Kennedy. “I feel very confident that elected officials want better oversight, as well. They have to answer to constituents and this is about holding facilities accountable.”

Two bills, HB 2764 and HB 2587, passed out of the House Health and Human Services Committee Thursday. The bills call for an increase in the daily fines facilities pay when cited for violations, going up from a maximum of $500 per violation to $1,000 per person, based on the number of people impacted by the violation.

The proposals also call for onsite monitors for repeat offenders and authorize protective service workers to file for emergency orders of protection against harassment. Another bill, HB 2653, which passed out of committee Monday, would require assisted living facilities to report whenever a resident or employee is injured.

Former caregiver Jodi Fialkin, whose mother battled Alzheimer’s, is pleased to see lawmakers stepping up to protect seniors. “I am very excited by it, very encouraged by it,” said Fialkin. “We have many, many things to accomplish, to improve Alzheimer’s and dementia care, so this is a good first start.”

A number of lawmakers raised concerns that the fines proposed should be higher, which could lead to changes in the bills moving forward.

The bills will now move on to the House Rules Committee.

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