Testimony to the NYS Legislature

Attorney Lindsay Heckler is providing testimony today before the Joint Legislative Committees on Aging, Health, and Investigations and Government Operations on New York Residential Health Care Facilities and Covid-19.The growing crisis of substandard care in nursing homes and other residential settings is nothing new. The pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought long overdue public scrutiny. For too long New York State, including the Department of Health, has been complacent with the poor care and services offered in our long-term care facilities. Our written testimony provides recommendations on many issues including: the need for transparency and accountability in decision making, policy and actions that harmfully impact resident rights and care (such as insufficient staffing, visitation, admission/discharge issues, and infection control), the insufficient funding of New York's Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and the need to overhaul long-term care. See Lindsay's verbal remarks here, and her complete written testimony below: