As the population of America continues to age, more people ask questions about nursing homes. How well do they treat residents? Are all of a resident’s needs getting met? How high is the quality of life of an average nursing home resident?
Senate Bill 40 aims to help improve some of the potential issues currently associated with nursing homes in New Mexico, thus improving the overall quality of life for thousands of people.
What is the Health Care Quality Surcharge Act?
The New Mexico Department of Health discusses matters related to potentially at-risk portions of the population, including nursing home residents and their health. It discusses Senate Bill 40, or the Health Care Quality Surcharge Act. This will send millions of additional dollars from state and federal levels toward nursing facilities with the overall goal of improving the quality of care these facilities can offer.
The governor states that this critical funding will provide relief for both disabled and senior citizens in the state, who live in long-term care facilities for a variety of reasons. The bill has gone through bipartisan approval, with both parties supporting the need to continue improving quality of life for these vulnerable populations.
How will it help?
This bill will help nursing facilities in several ways. First, it aids in the recruitment process, allowing for nursing homes to stay fully staffed. This can help cut down on the mistakes that occur due to negligence from exhausted staff.
It also helps with quality assurance and provides good, dependable care for all residents in a facility through similar avenues. As stated, it is a program that pays for itself many times over.