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Residents and advocates press for higher nursing‑home staffing minimums; providers warn against rigid licensure ratios
Summary
At the public hearing, residents, ombudsman and advocates urged passage of SB 1279 to raise minimum direct‑care hours in nursing homes to 3.6 and ultimately 4.1 hours per resident per day; provider groups warned the bill’s prescriptive per‑licensure ratios could reduce flexibility and raise costs.
Resident leaders, the state long‑term care ombudsman and legal advocates urged the Aging Committee to advance Senate Bill 1279, which would increase minimum direct care staffing and set phases toward a 4.1‑hour standard.
Jeanette Sullivan Martinez, president of a resident council, and Robert “Bobby” Willis and John Baliciano, resident council leaders, described daily delays for basic care such as toileting and showering and urged stronger minimums. “Supporting SB 1279 means securing dignity,” Sullivan Martinez told the committee.
Mairead Painter, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, supported higher staffing and emphasized the need for “clear…
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