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Debate grows over bill to let trained aides give routine meds in nursing homes and assisted living
Summary
A bill to allow certified nursing assistants and assisted‑living aides to administer certain medications drew sharply divided testimony before the Connecticut Aging Committee, with providers and industry groups supporting it as a workforce and access measure and nurses’ groups and CNAs warning of safety and staffing risks.
Mairead Painter, the state long‑term care ombudsman, told the Aging Committee she opposes House Bill 6773, saying "the administration of medication is a clinical task that requires medical knowledge, judgment, and the oversight that licensed nurses provide." Painter said delegation to aides could reduce nurse oversight and increase medication errors for residents with complex conditions.
The bill would permit trained nursing aides and assisted‑living aides to administer some medications in nursing homes and assisted living settings if delegated by a nurse. Supporters said the proposal is permissive, creates a career ladder for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and could free licensed nurses to focus on clinical assessments.
"This certification will provide a career ladder and a pathway to advance roles in the growing field of aging services for CNAs," Megan Morelli, president of LeadingAge Connecticut, told the committee. The Connecticut Association of…
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