Advocates for seniors say nursing home reform should be on special session agenda

The topic, however, is not on the docket for lawmakers when they return. Police reform is at the top of next week's agenda along with expanded absentee ballots for the November election.

News 12 Staff

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Jul 16, 2020, 9:40 PM

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Updated 1,713 days ago

Advocates for senior citizens want state lawmakers to take up nursing home reform next week in their special session after they were ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The topic, however, is not on the docket for lawmakers when they return. Police reform is at the top of next week's agenda along with expanded absentee ballots for the November election.

Nora Duncan, the executive director of AARP Connecticut, says it’s a “missed opportunity to address COVID-19 and the situation in nursing homes."

Gov. Ned Lamont says he wants to wait until September when an outside group wraps up its investigation into whether facilities and state agencies dropped the ball during the pandemic.

"An independent firm has been hired to do an investigation because it's unacceptable to have lost so many of our older residents,” says Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

But senior advocates say lawmakers could fix some things now. They want to end immunity for nursing homes, require more frequent COVID-19 testing and give residents cameras to talk to their families and doctors.

In the meantime, families can visit their relatives outside nursing facilities. Some nursing homes will even let one family member go inside for a visit.