Ashburn´s Caregiver Background Checks Bill Passes Legislature, Now Goes to the Governor
California Political Desk
March 10, 2008
SACRAMENTO – Senator Roy Ashburn (R- Bakersfield) announced today that Senate Bill 692 to expand caregiver background checks passed the Senate by a vote of 36-0.
Under current California law, participants in the In-Home Social Services (IHSS) caregiver program for low income patients must be cleared through a Department of Justice background check. Unfortunately those caught in the middle, people who don´t qualify for IHSS, but cannot afford to use a private agency, lack the legal authorization to request a background check on a potential in-home caregiver. SB 692 grants them this authority to protect themselves or their loved ones and obtain a background check on an unlicensed in-home caregiver.
"While the vast majority of in-home caregivers operate in a lawful and ethical manner, we need to make sure that dangerous individuals aren´t given a chance to abuse or neglect the most vulnerable among us," said Senator Ashburn. "This bill will give patients and their families the tools that they need to protect themselves from potential abuse."
Elder neglect and abuse – physical, emotional, and financial – is a serious problem. A 2004 survey by the National Center on Elder Abuse noted a 19.7 percent increase in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect and a 15.6 percent increase in substantiated cases in the four years since the last survey was conducted in 2000. Adult Protective Services agencies received 565,747 reports of suspected elder and vulnerable adult abuse, as compared with 482,913 reports four years ago. Of this number, 20.4% of the cases involved "caregiver neglect" and 14.7% involved financial exploitation.
SB 692 previously passed the Assembly, so the bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.
Under current California law, participants in the In-Home Social Services (IHSS) caregiver program for low income patients must be cleared through a Department of Justice background check. Unfortunately those caught in the middle, people who don´t qualify for IHSS, but cannot afford to use a private agency, lack the legal authorization to request a background check on a potential in-home caregiver. SB 692 grants them this authority to protect themselves or their loved ones and obtain a background check on an unlicensed in-home caregiver.
"While the vast majority of in-home caregivers operate in a lawful and ethical manner, we need to make sure that dangerous individuals aren´t given a chance to abuse or neglect the most vulnerable among us," said Senator Ashburn. "This bill will give patients and their families the tools that they need to protect themselves from potential abuse."
Elder neglect and abuse – physical, emotional, and financial – is a serious problem. A 2004 survey by the National Center on Elder Abuse noted a 19.7 percent increase in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect and a 15.6 percent increase in substantiated cases in the four years since the last survey was conducted in 2000. Adult Protective Services agencies received 565,747 reports of suspected elder and vulnerable adult abuse, as compared with 482,913 reports four years ago. Of this number, 20.4% of the cases involved "caregiver neglect" and 14.7% involved financial exploitation.
SB 692 previously passed the Assembly, so the bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.
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