[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6348565,"mediaKeyId","2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea","parentId",2241585,"title","Advocates urge funding for long‑term care ombudsman and service navigators, citing rising complaints and homelessness risk","audioSeconds",11594,"startMs",271925,"endMs",11866585,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea&start=271&end=11866","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea/thumbnail_271925.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6348565/Connecticut/Advocates-urge-funding-for-longterm-care-ombudsman-and-service-navigators-citing-rising-complaints-and-homelessness-risk","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348565-09a9d2b9a2495f73784ab1e71545c2b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161395&Signature=nKcwv2MSSgUuULTmkEOyd8wUpD03zIL36zS7-3xWVsoDqGocTmBTMMCyAUWVuaYRaX4lZHOt~coyc~DuOQraUJdFHOFX1ihHAKHmwCQwCyqr2M69APIAUBX2Th4pDiEeejNWDvba9MI~J-DuNy1N4HtFii8BcD0mqth9lrv9bQgFr5Ho2kJPo6sMonMUgnPubivOaZR5Vj-akga--8Y8Icat1urHemy43F9TJhSgp5hH4QOFDci~BqfKtIK0jLPeVLamBZwObjByM-WI6APUsdv5t6XHm2qjcAtoWTG3qD33M8cofBgX7BPIF~tqOvI-~wZHXBgQa5ScxA-A2tXq9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CGA - Aging Committee","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","Mairead Painter, the state long‑term care ombudsman, urged the committee to fund Senate Bill 1176, saying \"Ombudsmen are critical in safeguarding the rights, safety and well‑being of long term care residents\" and that Connecticut remains underrecommended staffing levels for the program.

Painter testified the program is stretched: she said regional ombudsman would improve response times and case management, and noted the ombudsman program is \"under the recommended 1 ombudsman for every 2,000 long term care beds.\" Painter described having to pull team members from their regular regions to manage nursing home closures and related relocations, which delays responses elsewhere.

Multiple witnesses from the Area Agencies on Aging and advocates described high demand for service navigators, which assist older adults and caregivers with benefits enrollment, housing, and health‑care coordination. Michael Warner, lead aging policy analyst for the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, and Lisonbee Dvorak, director of Senior Resources (an Area Agency on Aging), urged support for funding navigators and for $20,000 in software to improve intake.

Area agency testimony included examples of substantial client savings and the navigation workload: Rachel Boxwell of UConn Health described a case in which a service navigator helped an 86‑year‑old save roughly $1,488 a month through Medicare and SNAP enrollments, enabling him to retire; Lisonbee Dvorak and others said service navigators routinely assist at least 30 people per month and that current staff and remaining ARPA funds limit outreach.

Advocates asked the committee to make navigator funding sustainable. Marie Allen and other agency leaders said the agencies currently operate with two state‑funded navigators per Area Agency on Aging (ten statewide), one of which is supported by ARPA and will end; they requested increasing to four navigators per agency (20 statewide). Marie Painter said the total cost to fund 4 navigators per agency statewide was approximately $2,000,000.

Witnesses connected navigator services to potential state savings by preventing premature nursing home placements and reducing hospitalizations. Spring Raymond of the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging and Maureen McIntyre of AgingCT highlighted rising counts of older people experiencing homelessness and the agencies’ role in preventing evictions and connecting residents to services.

Lawmakers asked for metrics and fiscal notes to quantify avoided nursing home and hospital costs. The committee heard requests for sustainable funding for the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program and navigators and for clearer plans to replace expiring ARPA support.

Ending: Committee members asked agencies to provide additional cost and outcome data so the legislature can evaluate sustainable funding options for ombudsmen and service navigators.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Aging Committee Public Hearing 2/6","oneSentenceSummary","Mairead Painter, the state long‑term care ombudsman, urged lawmakers to fund Senate Bill 1176, saying \"Ombudsmen are critical in safeguarding the rights, safety and well‑being of long term care residents.\"","taxTitle","2025 Legislature CT, Connecticut","taxId",77677,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348570,"Debate grows over bill to let trained aides give routine meds in nursing homes and assisted living",11882,113060,11995315,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea&start=113&end=11995","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea/thumbnail_113060.jpg","/articles/6348570/Connecticut/Debate-grows-over-bill-to-let-trained-aides-give-routine-meds-in-nursing-homes-and-assisted-living","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348570-dac60aa0f9e8d6fcc006dbded91fac8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161395&Signature=h6M5EeY4WPAR-5HN3uc3Ji2Vgr5LLEhlGVlxZUJHmSxcWxbY9XeDrj0mItxcDvTTUrJNwZCh77diUETwwhhPd2w89s8DxJMgQ7qGw9EkWH-fheFycI6fB4bJ-PlzIpq-ZLBaSaxk~kbvX59vc-62zZiYs~tlDwUNnrVwd7wWdCfqojx7PfrDRNrAiTL57hQ8zbuYnZ-H6BE-zJPytMEniq1rGxITH52Tbcq72Ge46jSnfzDdpUO17V2UUx8uJ9Af0fCxjdadVXvbviZJ5NRNLtjA0LCzobifCqPl84JvcXJWnU5VMiCkRtUeyixp7ypQIQ-C14EXab8kidE6L4dqDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","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 Healthcare Facilities, the Connecticut Center for Assisted Living and several facility administrators also testified in favor, saying states that use medication technicians have not shown higher error rates and that delegation can improve timely medication delivery.

Matthew Barrett, president of the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Facilities, cited national research in support and recommended the bill explicitly make delegation permissive rather than mandatory and limit injection administration. Sean Mastroianni, a licensed nursing home administrator, and Emily Kelly, an RN and director of resident health services at a retirement community, said delegation could reduce medication timing problems and help staff recruitment and retention.

Opponents included the Connecticut Nurses Association and unionized CNAs. Kim Sandor, executive director of the Connecticut Nurses Association, urged caution and noted the delegation requires an RN to assess readiness, supervise and monitor delegated tasks. Donna Bernier of SEIU 1199 New England and multiple CNAs who spoke during public comment said current staffing levels leave CNAs overburdened and added tasks would worsen care. Marybeth Cimino, a CNA with 45 years' experience, said shifts sometimes leave one aide for dozens of residents and that adding med passes would force corners to be cut.

Several CNAs and frontline staff described broad, variable workloads and said they feared being required to take on med passes even if certified. Opponents also raised liability and continuity concerns: who would do assessments, who would supervise agency nurses, and how the change would be operationalized on floors with high staff turnover.

Proponents said safeguards in other states can be modeled, and requested language clarifying that (1) delegation is not required, (2) the nurse maintains authority to refuse delegation for particular residents or medications, and (3) certification and scope be regulated by the Department of Public Health. Supporters also proposed excluding injectable medications and preserving nurse staffing minimums.

The hearing included multiple requests from lawmakers for more data and pilot or regulatory language to address training, supervision, and indemnity. Several legislators said they wanted additional input from the Department of Public Health and from nurses and providers before advancing the bill.

Committee discussion ended with no vote recorded during the public hearing; members heard hours of testimony from ombudsmen, providers, nurses, union representatives, CNAs, and residents. The bill will proceed through the legislative process with further committee consideration expected.

Ending: Lawmakers said they will weigh training standards and safeguards recommended by agencies and stakeholders before deciding whether to advance HB 6773. Additional written materials and state agency analyses were requested during the hearing.","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.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":44,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":50,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348560,"Ombudsman, attorneys and residents push to restore COLA and raise nursing‑home personal needs allowance",8986,9258040,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241585-57f3505f4b064ace6f3631bc759a6aea&start=271&end=9258","/articles/6348560/Connecticut/Ombudsman-attorneys-and-residents-push-to-restore-COLA-and-raise-nursinghome-personal-needs-allowance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348560-5dad9fb60b30c67b7e78fb9652a75099/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161395&Signature=IVuWMTAevceOppfuJ2OFIAelloK~1Fr8rsFXHyE0AGlrrHh19oY1WGKdz9RoivHfmF7YeXMUJPKUd5~wKX1PCKeE9YYfSb7602Oh4MWrKF17sqEha4yBJVRYRh--QtpqMRfs1WeN1zApPMCJvq8jr--EwIjM-D3W-wMkhGDYeYDlnv1aPMzWTBTkxa10KEmEgreOvRpEeE~gwSmb9ivIjOuU7tibdRrpcKGaPvUPqnv-WYzxGJv6NwGQv8fNZi3iLJFAspqH2W7rnch2MkCBlCURifjtwXK1Mvg9MUWRwdf8n3TVmMZ5u1CoXBnDiABTHXmqjkDuJcR05mhhsqSOCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mairead Painter, the state long‑term care ombudsman, told the Aging Committee she supports House Bill 6775 to adjust the personal needs allowance for long‑term care residents, calling Connecticut’s current PNA of $75 “not meeting the cost of living.” Painter cited other states’ levels and urged indexing so residents share in Social Security cost‑of‑living increases.

Painter suggested a model in which the PNA increases by an initial amount and then ties future adjustments to a portion of Social Security COLA. In response to questions, Painter suggested starting with a $50 increase and then tying future increases to 25% of the Social Security COLA when it occurs.

Jean Mills Aranha of Connecticut Legal Services described the practical uses of the PNA for residents — haircuts, clothing, toiletries, snacks, phone service — and said federal law allows states to set PNA as high as $200 per month. She said the PNA’s automatic COLA was eliminated after a reduction in 2011 and that restoring an annual adjustment would help residents maintain dignity and social connection.

Resident testimony underlined the personal impact. John Baliciano, president of a resident council, said the PNA affects everyday dignity: \"Our PNA is all we have to pay for things we need...This bill would help by making sure we can afford the things we need. It is more about dignity, independence, and the ability to participate in a simple joy of life.\" Advocates urged indexing rather than one‑time increases so the allowance keeps pace with inflation.

Lawmakers asked for fiscal notes and comparative data on neighboring states; some members requested a breakdown of prior PNA changes and a projection of fiscal effects if PNA were indexed to a portion of Social Security COLA. Painter and others said the proposed indexing approach would reduce state fiscal exposure by tying benefit change to the timing and size of federal COLAs rather than creating an immediate general‑fund obligation.

Ending: Committee members asked for comparative PNA figures, past fiscal notes and an estimate of the budgetary impact of a proposed indexing approach before acting on HB 6775.","Witnesses urged lawmakers to increase Connecticut's personal needs allowance (PNA) for nursing‑home residents and to restore an annual cost‑of‑living adjustment. Testimony noted Connecticut's $75 monthly PNA is lower than many states and that indexing it to Social Security cost‑of‑living adjustments would let residents keep more of federal COLA.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocates urge funding for long‑term care ombudsman and service navigators, citing rising complaints and homelessness risk

Debate grows over bill to let trained aides give routine meds in nursing homes and assisted living

Ombudsman, attorneys and residents push to restore COLA and raise nursing‑home personal needs allowance