| R 333 |
| 2021 -- H 6472 Enacted 06/25/2021 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| SUPPORTING PROVISIONS FOR REQUIRING ESSENTIAL CAREGIVERS FOR RESIDENTS OF NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES DURING HEALTH DISASTER EMERGENCIES |
Introduced By: Representatives P Morgan, Nardone, Speakman, Roberts, Quattrocchi, Hull, J Lombardi, Abney, Handy, and McLaughlin |
| Date Introduced: June 25, 2021 |
| WHEREAS, Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, many of our nation’s |
| most vulnerable people, and their loved ones, lived under the constant fear that getting COVID- |
| 19 could lead to severe complications that could permanently lead to lifelong health ailments or |
| to death; and |
| WHEREAS, Fear of COVID-19 was even more pronounced for our loved ones residing |
| in skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, and |
| inpatient rehabilitation facilities who were unable to have access to their essential caregivers |
| during the pandemic health emergency. This painful and horrendous isolation had an incredibly |
| negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of all patients living in these facilities; and |
| WHEREAS, The mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being of Rhode |
| Island's vulnerable residents of nursing homes and other congregate care facilities is of utmost |
| concern to the people of Rhode Island; and |
| WHEREAS, In 2021, the Rhode Island House of Representatives unanimously passed an |
| Essential Caregiver bill requiring rules and regulations to provide for the designation of essential |
| caregivers to provide in-person physical or emotional support to a resident of a nursing home or |
| long-term care facility during the period of fifteen days after the declaration of disaster |
| emergency and until sixty (60) days after the termination of the declaration of disaster |
| emergency; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| supports provisions requiring essential caregivers for residents of nursing homes and long-term |
| care facilities during health disaster emergencies; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, Director of the |
| Rhode Island Department of Health. |
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| LC003078 |
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