Washington, D.C. — Mark Parkinson, President & CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) issued the below statement following his testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, entitled Promoting Elder Justice: A Call for Reform:
“Abuse and neglect have no place in the nursing home setting or in any health care setting. While even one report of abuse or neglect is one too many, the facts show that such instances are rare and the overwhelming majority of nursing home staff provide high-quality resident care.
“In the last seven years, both the quality of care and methods used in our nursing homes have improved dramatically. We will continue to work with stakeholders to identify reforms that will further improve the lives of America’s elderly, including policies that help facilities retain more high-quality staff, bring more transparency to abuse and neglect reporting, and provide consumers additional information to help them make informed decisions.”
ABOUT AHCA/NCAL
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represents more than 13,700 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.