Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman NICHOLAS CHIARAVALLOTI
District 31 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Pou, O'Scanlon, Greenstein, Ruiz, Weinberg, Assemblymen Verrelli, Dancer, McClellan, Simonsen, Caputo, Assemblywoman McKnight, Assemblyman Danielsen, Assemblywoman Downey, Assemblymen Wirths, Space, Assemblywomen Jasey, Tucker, Assemblymen Johnson, Mejia, Assemblywomen DiMaso, Swain and Assemblyman Tully
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to develop Statewide plan for infection control and prevention infrastructure improvements in nursing homes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nursing homes and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Health shall conduct a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure assessment, which assessment shall include, at a minimum:
(1) a count of the total number of single-resident rooms in nursing homes, a determination as to what percentage of the total number of authorized nursing home beds in New Jersey are utilized in single-resident rooms, and a review of the ability of nursing homes to convert multiple-resident rooms to single-resident rooms or otherwise expand the number of single-resident rooms;
(2) a survey of the maintenance status of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems in nursing homes;
(3) a study of the utilization of negative pressure rooms and other physical plant features that are designed or may be implemented to increase infection control and prevention capability in nursing homes; and
(4) any other infrastructure-related infection control or prevention considerations as are recommended for assessment by the New Jersey Task Force on Long-Term Care Quality and Safety established pursuant to P.L.2020, c.88. No later than 30 days after the effective date of this act, the Department of Health shall request that the New Jersey Task Force on Long-Term Care Quality and Safety provide the department with recommendations for infrastructure-related infection control and prevention considerations to be assessed pursuant to this section, which recommendations shall be provided by the task force to the department no later than 30 days after the date of the request.
b. The assessment required under subsection a. of this section shall be completed no later than one year after the effective date of this act.
c. No later than 180 days after completing the assessment required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the department shall develop a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure improvement plan, which plan shall:
(1) establish standards and requirements for improvements to the infrastructure in nursing homes to improve infection control and prevention and to ensure the nursing homes are primarily focused on resident safety and the quality of services provided to residents;
(2) establish a long-term strategy to redesign the nursing home industry in New Jersey to ensure the system is primarily focused on resident safety and the quality of services provided to residents, which strategy shall include design and construction standards for new facilities and facilities undergoing significant modifications;
(3) review and seek to incorporate best practice standards in place in other states; and
(4) establish specific goals and timelines for improvements, which shall take into account the age of the facilities, the availability of land for expansion or new construction, the costs of improvements, and the authorizations that would be required.
In developing the Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure improvement plan pursuant to this subsection, the department shall consult with representatives from the nursing home industry, including representatives from for-profit and non-profit facilities, groups representing nursing home workers, including both direct care providers and support staff, resident advocates, and the families of residents.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Health to conduct a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure assessment and, based on that assessment, develop a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure improvement plan.
At a minimum, the assessment will include: (1) a count of the total number of single-resident rooms in nursing homes in the State and the percentage of total nursing home beds that are utilized in single-resident rooms, as well as a review of the ability of nursing homes to expand single-resident room capacity;
(2) a survey of the maintenance status of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems in nursing homes;
(3) a study of the utilization of negative pressure rooms and other physical plant features that are designed or may be implemented to increase infection control and prevention capability in nursing homes; and
(4) any other infrastructure-related infection control or prevention considerations as are recommended for assessment by the New Jersey Task Force on Long-Term Care Quality and Safety established pursuant to P.L.2020, c.88. The bill expressly requires the department to request recommendations from the task force.
The assessment is to be completed within one year after the effective date of the bill.
No later than 180 days after the assessment is completed, the department will be required to develop a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure improvement plan, which plan is to:
(1) establish standards and requirements for improvements to the infrastructure in nursing homes to improve infection control and prevention and to ensure the nursing homes are primarily focused on resident safety and the quality of services provided to residents;
(2) establish a long-term strategy to redesign the nursing home industry in New Jersey to ensure the industry is primarily focused on resident safety and the quality of services provided to residents, which strategy will include design and construction standards for new facilities and facilities undergoing significant modifications;
(3) review and seek to incorporate best practice standards in place in other states; and
(4) establish specific goals and timelines for improvements, which will take into account the age of the facilities, the availability of land for expansion or new construction, the costs of improvements, and the authorizations that would be required.
In developing the Statewide plan, the department will be required to consult with representatives from the nursing home industry, including representatives from for-profit and non-profit facilities, groups representing both direct care providers and support staff in nursing homes, resident advocates, and the families of residents.