Nursing Home Reform AARP

Nursing Home Reform

Fix Oklahoma’s broken long-term care system

No nursing home resident should ever have to settle for poor quality care. But that is exactly what is happening at many nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across Oklahoma. COVID-19 brought to light many of the serious and chronic issues residents and staff face in these facilities. But long before the pandemic, many of these facilities were cited frequently for problems such as poor infection control, understaffing, inappropriate discharges and overuse of antipsychotics. Sadly, attempts to bring the industry up to standard are not working despite unprecedented levels of new taxpayer funding going to nursing home operators.

This is why we are asking you to contact your elected officials and tell them to prioritize reforming Oklahoma’s long-term care system. Specifically, we are asking state officials to:

•    Enact auditing and transparency measures to ensure taxpayer funding is not funneled away from nursing home resident care. 
•    Ensure passage of legislation to make sure a greater percentage of taxpayer funding is serving the residents of nursing homes. 
•    Increase access to home and community-based services such as home health and adult day centers.
•    Ensure all older Oklahomans are presented with options when they require long-term care.
•    Increase frequency of nursing home and assisted living inspections and hold bad actors accountable for not meeting standards.
•    Increase standards of care and ensure adequate staffing levels of trained staff.

We believe these reforms serve as a much-needed starting point, but lawmakers need to hear from you to take these matters seriously. Can you lend your voice to our work to improve nursing home care? 
 

 

 

Form Label Field
Your Message
Dear Decision Maker,

As your constituent, I am writing today to ask you to take action to fix Oklahoma’s broken long-term care system. For too long, many of Oklahoma’s nursing homes have delivered below standard care while many seniors face limited options for home-based care. All of this is occurring while the nursing home industry is receiving record state and federal taxpayer funding. This needs to stop.

I am calling on you to determine how nursing home owners are spending the hundreds of millions of dollars they are receiving from taxpayers and, increase the frequency of nursing home inspections. Also, please hold bad actors accountable and, increase access to home and community-based services. Finally, ensure all older Oklahomans are aware of all the available care options. With your help, we can hold the nursing home industry accountable and deliver dignified care to our loved ones in the setting of their choice. I appreciate your help on this subject.

Thank you,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]