With New COVID-19 Rules, Older Adult Care Bill Clears Georgia Senate Hurdle

The Georgia Senate has advanced additional rules for reporting COVID-19 infections in nursing and assisted-living communities, giving a welcome boost to legislation for senior care in the state, reports the Rome News-Tribune . The measure would fortify training for staff in senior-care communities and enlarge the number of staff to be on site at any given time to monitor residents — in addition to raising fines for violations or if a community causes a resident's death. Senate lawmakers have modified the bill to add extra requirements for communities to publicly disclose when residents or staff test positive for the coronavirus. They also would have to stock a week's worth of protective supplies like masks and gowns and have every resident and staffer tested within 90 days of the legislation's enactment. The bill would require at least one direct-care staff member for every 15 senior residents during waking hours, and one for every 20 residents at nighttime. The bill also seeks to tighten staffing and training standards for memory care centers.