Topic: Assisted living facilities

The Senate President and House Speaker say the 2014 session will pass legislation to protect children, the elderly and the disabled. The plan includes reducing the critical-needs waiting list, expanding the Guardian Ad Litem Program, more regulation of ALFs and a scorched-earth policy when it comes to sexual predators. ... Related Research: Dec. 8, 2011 Final Report of the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury.

Two southwest Florida lawmakers want to streamline the state ombudsman program which advocates on behalf of nursing home and assisted living facility residents. The proposal does away with district councils and recommendations that each district have ombudsmen with expertise in nutrition, medicine and other health and human services. ... Related Research: Kaiser Health News report on states muzzling ombudsmen, and Agency on Aging report on Florida Ombudsman program.

SB 248 cleared the Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee on a unanimous vote. It specifies and clarifies responsibilities and obligations for the more than 3,000 facilities providing extended care to elderly and disabled residents. Sen. Eleanor Sobel intends to amend the measure at its next stop to empower AHCA to crack down on unlicensed operators.

The proposal failed to make it on the agenda for this week's House HHS committee meeting. HHS has no meetings scheduled and the session ends in two weeks.

The measure would impose stiffer fines and make it easier to revoke a facility's license but its sponsor said it is a work in progress. He plans several amendments when the bill is introduced to the House HHS committee.

Regulation of assisted living facilities would increase under a bill moving through the Legislature. AHCA would have more ability to inspect facilities and revoke licenses.

The committee bill clarifies responsibilities and requires ALFs to disclose complaints to potential residents. It received a unanimous vote but the committee chair said it is a work in progress. ... Related Research: Final Report of the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury "ALFs: A Call for Greater Interagency Communication and a Cry for More Citizen Volunteers."

The group released the survey results along with the groups lobbying priorities heading into the 2013 legislative session. ... Related Research: AARP survey news release and AARP 2013 legislative focus.

The three meetings in December are the public's first opportunity to comment on a new set of rules for nursing homes. ... Related Research: Senate Interim Report 2012-128 Review Regulatory Oversight of Assisted Living Facilities in Florida from the Committee on Health Regulation, and Department of Elder Affairs Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Negotiated Rulemaking hearing agendas and information.

The panel consisting of bureaucrats and industry representatives met six times as part of a negotiated rulemaking process. The public will get a chance to comment on proposed rule changes in November and December. ... Related Research: Materials from Tuesday's ALF negotiated rulemaking meeting.

Industry representatives said they fear the costs associated with the increased regulation could force many of the nearly 3,000 assisted living facilities to close their doors. About two-thirds of the assisted living facilities in Florida have 20 or fewer beds. ... Related Research: View materials from the ALF Negotiated Rulemaking committee notebook.

The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs and Health Regulation committees are both working on proposed committee bills that will revamp regulation of assisted living facilities. Sens. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, Nan Rich, D-Sunrise, and Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah are among the lawmakers spearheading the effort.

This week water issues were debated in opinion columns, on the Capitol steps and in legal filings. Meanwhile, a House member proposed more unemployment compensation rules for the jobless, another suggested making it easier to sell electricity generated by the sun and the Senate released its redistricting proposals.

The Health Regulation Committee, chaired by Rene Garcia, and the Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee, chaired by Ronda Storms, will look to tackle different aspects of an overhaul of assisted living facility regulation.