AARP Praises Governor, Legislature For New Law Cracking Down on Unsafe Discharge of Nursing Home Residents

GettyImages

ALBANY, N.Y. - AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel issued the following statement on Governor Andrew Cuomo signing into law S3058-Rivera/A3919-Hevesi, a bill to protect the safety of nursing home residents:

“The potentially unsafe discharges of nursing home residents to homeless shelters and other places unequipped to care for them is shameful, and AARP New York is pleased that the State has strengthened laws preventing this practice.

“AARP New York thanks Senator Rivera and Assemblyman Hevesi for their leadership in pushing this bill through the legislature and Governor Cuomo for signing it into law.

“In New York, the overwhelming majority of those discharged are people of color from nursing homes in poor neighborhoods. This new law is an important step toward badly needed reform of nursing homes in this State, and we urge the Governor and Legislature to enact the full Five-Point plan we are calling for – which includes improving quality and increasing transparency.”

Contact: Erik Kriss, ekriss@aarp.org

Follow us on Twitter:  @AARPNY and Facebook: AARP New York

About AARP

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

###