South Carolina General Assembly
112th Session, 1997-1998

Bill 813


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       813
Type of Legislation:               Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19970604
Primary Sponsor:                   Giese 
All Sponsors:                      Giese 
Drafted Document Number:           psd\7424ac.97
Residing Body:                     House
Current Committee:                 Invitations and Memorial
                                   Resolutions Committee 24 HIMR
Subject:                           Area Health Education
                                   Consortium, to conduct needs
                                   assessments of nurses aides in
                                   residential care facilities,
                                   Nursing



History


Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________
House   19970605  Introduced, referred to Committee        24 HIMR
Senate  19970604  Introduced, adopted, sent to House

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE SOUTH CAROLINA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CONSORTIUM IN CONDUCTING ITS STATEWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF ALL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO EXAMINE THE PROBLEMS OF THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF NURSES AIDES IN SOUTH CAROLINA NURSING HOMES AND TO REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE JANUARY 1, 1998.

Whereas, eighty percent of care in nursing homes is provided by nurses aides, and turnover rates for nursing aides in long term care are as high as one hundred percent in a two-year period;

Whereas, nurses aides are serving sicker and more severely handicapped patients due to the trend to keep patients at home and served by home and community health services as long as possible and;

Whereas, long term care facilities have great difficulty in finding nurses aides to fill openings;

Whereas, care for advanced dementia patients is difficult and poorly rewarded;

Whereas, increased workloads in long term care are demanding more health providers;

Whereas, our single elderly often have only their personal care nurses aides to depend on, as families are often not available;

Whereas, the pay scale for nursing aides is comparable to unskilled fast food workers;

Whereas, South Carolina's aging population is growing and will continue to increase as the baby boomers approach the ranks of senior citizens; and

Whereas, South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) is currently involved in a statewide health profession needs assessment of all health professionals including licensed and unlicensed providers under an enhanced AHEC contract. The health profession planning under the enhanced contract will focus on health care skills and competencies to serve the population in critical areas of health needs which include geriatric care. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That by this resolution, the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina requests the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium, in conducting its statewide needs assessment of all health professionals, to examine the problem of recruitment and retention of nurses aides in South Carolina nursing homes and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly before January 1, 1998.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium.

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