| Group Calls for Tighter State Rules on Health-Aide Hiring
An organization that represents nursing homes and health-care agencies is calling for stricter state regulations on hiring people with criminal records following a WRAL story about a woman victimized by a health-care home worker.WRAL reported Wednesday about the arrest of Jeanette Wright, 53, on charges she opened credit card accounts using the personal information of Mattie Spruill, a 71-year-old woman for whom she cared while working for Carolina Staffing and Home Health Inc.After Wright's arrest, WRAL was able to find out that she has been convicted of similar crimes and has served jail time. Her criminal record is nearly a dozen pages long and includes charges of financial card fraud, credit card theft, shoplifting, larceny, breaking and entering, forgery and larceny."She should have never been allowed to work in the in-home care industry or any industry like a nursing home or assisted living," said Tim Rogers, chief executive officer of the Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina, an association representing home-care agencies.
Legislator pleased by teacher-pay item
Sound budget practices - providing services in a cost efficient manner and limiting the growth of government - will continue to be my priorities as we enter discussions regarding next year's state budget.
Last week Gov. Chet Culver gave his first major address to the Iowa Legislature and outlined his budget plan for the 2008 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The governor proposes spending $5.7 billion next year, a nearly 9 percent spending increase, or $459 million, over the current budget that was approved last year.
I'm pleased that the governor's budget proposal continues a commitment made by lawmakers last year to raise teacher pay in Iowa. I also appreciate the governor's commitment to fully fund Medicaid, the health care program for needy Iowans. However, there are areas that concern me.
Homes faulted on fire safety
Long-term-care facilities in Missouri are prone to fire safety violations, state records show on the heels of a fire in November that killed 11 people at a group home. Forty percent of about 220 homes for the mentally ill and disabled were cited for fire safety violations in their most recent state inspections, data show. Most of those inspections were in 2005 and 2006. In a larger records review, two-thirds of about 635 residential-care and assisted-living facilities — which include homes for the elderly — have been cited for at least one violation since 2003. Both databases were obtained by The Kansas City Star under the open-records law. They do not include skilled-nursing homes, which have the highest level of care and different safety standards.
Indiana gets $21 million over 5 years for senior alternatives
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The state has received a $21 million federal grant to be used over the next five years to pay for home health care, assisted living and other services needed by senior citizens moving out of nursing homes, the state's human services chief said Friday.
The Family and Social Services Administration received the funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to mark the success of a Division of Aging program called Options that was created to offer seniors alternatives to traditional nursing, Secretary Mitch Roob said.
Alternatives such as home health care, assisted living, adult foster care, and adult day services allows seniors to maintain some independence in their living while having access to services they may need.
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