A New Year's Resolution

By Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell

	Many of us make New Year's resolutions regarding something in our personal
lives that we would like to improve.  This year, I too am making a
resolution. It's one that will improve the lives of thousands of Missouri
senior citizens. Too often seniors are not receiving the quality of care,
safety and choices they deserve when it comes to long-term care. As the
official advocate for the elderly in Missouri, it is my resolution to make
sure our seniors have an abundance of quality choices for long-term care.

	Accomplishing this New Year's resolution will take more than the typical
will power of most resolutions to maintain a new exercise program or diet.
It will take the dedication and support of all of us to help produce a bill
that will truly protect our senior citizens.  Governor Holden and I are
firmly committed to helping senior citizens overcome barriers to quality
long-term care, which is why together we are proposing the passage of the
Senior Care and Protection Act during this legislative session.  This act
will increase the safeguards currently existing in statute that protect the
lives of Missouri's vulnerable senior population and work to ensure a higher
quality of life.

	There have been too many reports both in the press as well as from Missouri
citizens about our friends and family being victims of abuse and neglect in
nursing homes. Before one more senior citizen is injured we must strengthen
and implement the necessary protections to prevent any more instances of
abuse or neglect from occurring.  I have devoted my office to ensuring that
our state's heroes, the ones who fought in wars to secure our freedoms and
our privileges, and our dutiful and loving parents and grandparents who have
raised us, are able to enjoy the comfort and safety they have earned and
deserve.

	In order to provide our seniors with this comfort and safety, the
legislation we are proposing will require changing existing law in three key
areas.  We are seeking to strengthen the investigatory powers of state and
local officials, establish greater accountability between long-term care
facilities and their residents and the state, and to formulate measures that
would provide greater resident protection. Enacting these three key aspects
into legislation will be the beginning steps to raise Missouri's standards
of long-term care and give family and friends the peace of mind they should
have in entrusting loved ones to long-term care.

	By establishing legislation to protect our elderly in long-term care, we are
not out to attack the nursing home industry, as the majority of Missouri's
nursing homes are good providers of quality care to our senior citizens.
Through focusing on the bad actors in the industry, we will help both our
senior citizens and the nursing homes that deliver quality care by driving
the bad long-term care facilities out of the industry.

	With our increasing senior population, we've got to take the steps now to
give seniors the quality of care they deserve. This Senior Care and
Protection Act that we have developed is crucial in reinforcing the
safeguards existing to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Seniors deserve
the assurance that their specific health needs will be met and it is my
resolution to make sure that they do.  We ask for your support in protecting
our seniors and for you to contact your state representative and senator to
ensure that they too are keeping their resolutions to protect you and your
family.