Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Senator NELLIE POU
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Stack
SYNOPSIS
Requires each nursing home to employ patient advocate.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nursing homes and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statues.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, "nursing home" means a long-term care facility licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.), as well as the distinct part of another health care facility or continuing care retirement community that is licensed to provide skilled nursing care services pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.). For the purposes of this section, nursing home shall not include: an acute care hospital; assisted living facility; comprehensive personal care home; residential health care facility; adult day health care facility; alternate family care program; adult family care program; home health care agency; State psychiatric hospital; county health care facility, including, but not limited to, county geriatric center, county nursing home or other county long-term care facility; the New Jersey Firemen's Home; or a health care facility operated by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.
b. Each nursing home shall employ a patient advocate on a full-time or part-time basis who is a health care professional or social worker with previous employment in a nursing home. At the request of a nursing home resident or the family member of a nursing home resident, the patient advocate shall advocate for nursing home residents and negotiate with the nursing home on behalf of nursing home residents.
c. A patient advocate shall notify the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman if a nursing home violates the rights of a nursing home resident.
2. The Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each nursing home to employ a patient advocate.
Under the bill, each nursing home is to employ a patient advocate on a full-time or part-time basis who is a health care professional or social worker with previous employment in a nursing home. At the request of a nursing home resident or the family member of a nursing home resident, the patient advocate is to advocate for nursing home residents and negotiate with the nursing home on behalf of nursing home residents.
The bill provides that a patient advocate is to notify the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman if a nursing home violates the rights of a nursing home resident.