Welcome to

October is dedicated to the rights of residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Today the governor issued a proclamation highlighting patients’ rights. But lawmakers aren’t convinced the state is doing enough to protect those rights and as Whitney Ray tells us, they’re preparing to grill the agency heads in charge.

Governor Rick Scott issued this proclamation Monday, recognizing the rights of residents living in Florida nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Long term care patients have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, choose their own doctors, exercise, and go outdoors. They also have the right to privacy and if they see something wrong the law allows them to blow the whistle and remain anonymous.

But a pattern of abuse and neglect in some long-term care facilities has state lawmakers asking questions about how well these rights are being protected. In September, the Senate Health Regulations Committee issued a report, chastising the state for being too lenient on facilities where abuse was discovered.

“These rotten apples, these bad actors need to be shut down as quickly as possible,” said State Senator Eleanor Sobel.

Lawmakers were awakened by a newspaper investigation that reported a dozen deaths in as many years at the hands of sloppy and sometimes abusive caregivers.

Earlier this year the man in charge of investigating those violations was forced out.

“There should be no interference for the ombudsman to be a watchdog,” said Lee.

The US Administration on Aging says Brian Lee should have been allowed to keep his job. In a 30 page report the administration highlights several areas where the state violated the Older Americans Act. Tuesday state senators will ask why Lee was let go and what is being done to fix the problems.