SB 257 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

257 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00257AGE___031518____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN.

1441   *01441_______AGE* Referred to Committee on AGING   Introduced by:

  (AGE)   AN ACT CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN.

(a) Residents' advocates shall be appointed by the State Ombudsman, in consultation with the regional ombudsmen, for each region in sufficient number to serve the residents of long-term care facilities and recipients of home and community-based services within such region.

No person may perform any functions as a residents' advocate until the[the person hashas] having successfully completed a course of training required by the State Ombudsman.

Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, the course of training required by this subsection.[subsection] section.

(A) Any changes in federal, state and local laws, regulations and other governmental policies and actions that pertain to the health, safety, welfare and rights of residents and recipients with respect to the adequacy of long-term care facilities and home and community-based services in this state and to the health, safety, welfare and rights of applicants [which] to long-term care facilities or for home and community-based services that the State Ombudsman determines to be appropriate;

(3) Identify, investigate and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents and recipients that relate to action, inaction or decisions that may adversely affect [the] their health, safety, welfare or rights [of the residents] or by, or on behalf of, applicants in relation to issues concerning applications for admission to long-term care facilities;facilities or for home and community-based services;

(c) In carrying out the duties enumerated in sections 17a-405 to 17a-417, inclusive, as amended by this act, 19a-531 and 19a-532, the State Ombudsman, the Assistant State Ombudsman, the regional ombudsmen and the residents' advocates shall have access to all relevant public records, except [that]that records [which]which that are confidential to a resident or recipient shall only be divulged with the written consent of the resident or recipient.

(E) (i) Analyzing the success of the programprogram, including success in providing services to residents [of long-term care facilities] and recipients;

and ThisSec. act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

15.

Section 17a-420 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

In planning and operating the program, the state agency, in consultation with the [ombudsman] State Ombudsman, shall consider the views of area agencies on aging, older individuals and providers of long-term care.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

14 from passage 17a-421(3) StatementSec. of Purpose:

To15 expandOctober the1, duties2018 of17a-420 theStatement Office of theLegislative Long-TermCommissioners: Care Ombudsman to include home and community-based services and to house the office within the Department of Rehabilitation Services.

[ProposedIn deletionsSection are2(a) enclosed"residents of" was added for consistency, in brackets.Section 3, "subsection" was changed to "[subsection] section" for accuracy, in Section 6(3), reference to "home and community-based services" was added for consistency and Section 15 was added for consistency with the provisions of Sections 1 to 14, inclusive.

ProposedAGE additionsJoint areFavorable indicatedSubst. by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

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