Posted on: Tuesday, April 8, 2003

EDITORIAL
Elderly abuse bills can't just fizzle out

Out of an Advertiser series on elderly neglect and abuse grew widespread concern about Hawai'i's failure to protect some of our most vulnerable residents, as well as proposed legislation to remedy the problems.

In these final weeks of the legislative session, we ask lawmakers to support and improve — not dilute — the surviving measures and usher them to the finish line.

Still alive yesterday was a Senate bill to authorize the state attorney general to seek civil penalties against caregivers who abuse or neglect a dependent person age 62 or older. Another Senate bill requiring the state Department of Health to conduct annual surprise inspections of care homes was deferred. However, a similar House bill was still hanging on.

Unannounced inspections are the linchpin of elderly abuse legislation. Dead was legislation to allow the state to run criminal background checks of operators and employees of skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, adult residential care homes and assisted-living facilities. But still kicking around was a Senate bill intended to clear up inconsistencies in laws that authorize background checks for employees. While the measure doesn't specifically address adult residential care homes, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, it should be amended to include such providers.

We will consider this session a success of sorts if the Legislature and the governor pass laws to make Hawai'i a safer place to grow old.