H-3936              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2760

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Day, D. Sommers, Rector, Braddock, Dellwo, Peery, Kremen, Jones, Crane, Doty, Kirby, Wineberry, Schoon and Todd

Read first time 1/19/90 and referred to Committees on Health Care/Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to long-term care ombudsman; and adding new sections to chapter 43.190 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.190 RCW to read as follows:

          The legislature finds that many functionally disabled and elderly Washington citizens reside in long-term care facilities in Washington.  Due to their isolated and vulnerable condition they are dependent on others for care and protection.  It is the intent of the legislature that the state long-term care ombudsman program be supported in a fashion that allows for the uniform legal and complaint resolution coverage.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.190 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The long-term care ombudsman program shall establish four additional service sites to support volunteers, provide long-term care consumer education to families and the general public, and to implement a comprehensive in-person complaint response program.

          (2) Legal assistance shall be expanded to ensure that adequate counsel and representation is available to the residents, employees, and program volunteers.

          (3) Recruitment and training of volunteers shall be expanded.

          (4) An annual state-wide conference shall be implemented to assure that legal and logistic issues are uniformly explained to all volunteer ombudsmen.