In This Issue
CANHR is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of its monthly E-Newsletter
CANHR News & Notes is a monthly e-newsletter published by California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR). Since 1983, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), a statewide nonprofit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization, has been dedicated to improving the choices, care and quality of life for California’s long term care consumers. Through direct advocacy, community education, legislation and litigation it has been CANHR’s goal to educate and support long term care consumers and advocates regarding the rights and remedies under the law, and to create a united voice for long term care reform and humane alternatives to institutionalization.
To contact us, write info@canhr.org.
We hope you enjoy it!
Patricia L. McGinnis
Executive Director, CANHR
CANHR Helps Expose Abuse and Neglect in Assisted Living
In a major investigation with ProPublica, a new FRONTLINE documentary examined the operations of the nation’s largest assisted living company, raising questions about the drive for profits and fatal lapses in care. “Life and Death in Assisted Living” traces the rise of the assisted living sector and Emeritus in particular, which has grown into the country’s largest assisted living provider. The documentary is accompanied by a series of reports published on ProPublica. Reporters interviewed Pat McGinnis, CANHR’s Executive Director, during their investigation and she appears in the documentary.
Read More…
View the FRONTLINE Documentary
Reporters also interviewed CANHR staff for a series of articles on assisted living appearing in the San Diego Union Tribune. The Union Tribune and the Center for Health Reporting at the University of Southern California examined more than 80 possible crimes at San Diego County residential care homes for the elderly in the past 10 years for which criminal investigations were never launched or fizzled due to delays. The investigation revealed that elder abuse, sexual assault and other acts regularly go uninvestigated as crimes at assisted living homes across California, as the facilities fall into a jurisdictional haze in which the first response is often administrative sanctions.
Read “Crimes Go Uninvestigated in Care Homes”…
CANHR Campaign to Combat Mandatory Arbitration Agreements in Long Term Care Facilities
To further educate consumers on the harms of pre-dispute arbitration agreements, CANHR has launched a new website http://canhr.org/arbitration. The site includes articles, relevant laws, helpful links, and a must-see video with a personal story on the insidious role of such agreements in nursing home admissions. It also includes information about a related federal lawsuit in which the nursing home industry is seeking to restrict nursing home residents’ access to the courts in cases in which their rights have been violated.
Governor Signs CANHR-Supported Bill Protecting Conservatee Rights
Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski introduced AB 937 after hearing stories about conservatees being isolated from family and friends by conservators who were overstepping their limits. The new law guarantees a conservatee retain various personal rights, including the right to receive visitors, telephone calls, and mail, unless specifically limited by a court order. CANHR Staff Attorney Tony Chicotel prepared support letters, attended stakeholder meetings, and testified before the legislature in support of the bill.
Click Here to read the Bill.
Governor Appoints CANHR Attorney Prescott Cole to the California Professional Fiduciaries Advisory Committee
CANHR is delighted to announce that Governor Jerry Brown has appointed CANHR Senior Staff Attorney Prescott Cole to the California Professional Fiduciaries Advisory Committee.
Upcoming Events
2013 Elder Law Conference- Registration Now Open!
November 22 & 23, 2013
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Monterey, California
Shady Manor The Musical
A dramatic reading of an original script with musical accompaniment (22 Songs) written and composed by CANHR Senior Staff Attorney, Prescott Cole.
Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday October 27, at 2:00 p.m. (afternoon matinee)
Dementia Care Symposium
CANHR will be co-sponsoring a free, half-day dementia care symposium near Modesto called “Relationships: The New Medicine for Dementia.” The symposium will be held at the Stanislaus County Library – Salida Branch. The other event co-sponsors are Stanislaus and Mother Lode Long Term Care Ombudsman – Catholic Charities, San Joaquin County Long Term Care Ombudsman, and The Alzheimer’s Association.
November 12 at 2:00pm