Connecticut’s population is aging, and Governor Ned Lamont wants to keep retirees from leaving the state.
On Tuesday, he signed two bills to protect and support seniors, in what some have called an overhaul of the state's elder care system.
The two pieces of legislation will allow more seniors to receive day services and make nursing home finances and operations more transparent.
It will also transfer the oversight of homemaker-companion agencies from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Health and create a dementia services coordinator.
The overhaul is in response to complaints from nursing home residents and families who say poor living conditions — including abuse in some cases — make aging in Connecticut harder.
“I want to make sure that we can all stay in the state that we love,” Lamont said. “And look, it's a pretty hard time down there in Florida right now, and it's kind of nice to be up here.”
The laws are Public Act No. 23-30, An Act Concerning Adult Day Centers and Public Act No. 23-48, An Act Concerning Notice of a Proposed Involuntary Transfer or Discharge of a Nursing Facility Resident, Family Councils in Managed Residential Communities, Coordination of Dementia Services, Nursing Home Transparency and Homemaker-Companion Agencies.
Under the new laws, younger individuals who qualify will be eligible for day services, and providers will receive higher medicaid reimbursement rates.
A study will also be launched to look into how to support long-term care, transportation, housing assistance, nutritional assistance, and socialization opportunities.
Senate Aging Committee Chair Jan Hochadel said she wants to make sure families can make informed decisions for their loved ones.
“We want to make sure that facilities in Connecticut, whether it's a nursing home, home care agency or a daycare center, that they are providing safe, reliable, dependable, trustworthy services to those most vulnerable, aging citizens that we care so much about,” Hochadel said.
