Washington, D.C. — Mark Parkinson, President & CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) issued the below statement following the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Thursday, November 14, 2019, entitled Caring for Aging Americans.
“We appreciate the robust discussion about ensuring access to quality, affordable long term care. Over the last seven years, the quality of care provided in our nation’s skilled nursing centers has improved dramatically. Today, fewer than 1 in 7 nursing home residents are receiving antipsychotic medications, a significant decline from 1 out of 4 in 2011.
“Without question, abuse and neglect have no place in a nursing home or in any health care setting. One instance of abuse or neglect is one too many, but the facts show that such instances are rare and the vast majority of nursing home staff provide high-quality resident care.
“AHCA has made several recommendations to Congress for measures that can continue to improve care and prevent abuse and neglect. We look forward to continuing our work with lawmakers, regulators, and other stakeholders to advance these recommendations, including policies that help facilities retain more high-quality staff, bring more clarity and 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.