A national registry would also create a coordinated information network between states so that violators could not simply travel to another state to find work in a nursing home or other setting. Kohl will continue his efforts to include all long-term care settings, including home health and hospices, in the registry. Current state and national safeguards have been inadequate to prevent abuse of patients by those who are supposed to care for them. All states are required to have nurse aide registries, but these registries are not comprehensive or efficiently maintained. Many states limit their registries to nursing home aides, failing to cover home health and hospice aides.
Most states fail to require criminal background checks of long-term care workers.
Further, due to lengthy appeals and the threat of lawsuits, states often hesitate to document problem workers who may be abusive. Because no national registry of abusive health care workers exists, people who have histories of abuse or serious crimes in one state can simply travel to another state to find work. Abusive workers can also move from working in nursing homes to home health agencies without ever undergoing a criminal background check. Keeping our elderly and disabled safe from harm is not debatable, it's not optional and it's not extravagant. I applaud the efforts of Senator Kohl as an advocate for the elderly and look forward to working with him to improve the safety of the sick and frail elderly.