Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 2044 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez which tightens loopholes in current law regarding residential care facilities for the elderly and improves the quality of life for residents of the facilities.
AB 2044 requires that each residential care facility have at least one manager or other qualified supervisor at the facility at all times as well as an employee certified in CPR. The bill further requires that training for all direct-care employees include building and fire safety and the appropriate response to emergencies.
“Throughout my career as an Emergency Medical Technician, I have responded to numerous calls from residential care facilities,” said Rodriguez. “In many cases, we would arrive to transport a patient and there were no supervisory personnel present at the facility and we had no clear understanding of who was in charge or what was going on. When we place our loved ones in a residential care facility, we want the security of knowing that they will be well taken care of. This bill will raise the standard of care that our senior citizens receive.”
Because these facilities are non-medical, they are regulated by the Department of Social Services (DSS), Community Care Licensing Division (CCL). According to DSS, there are over 7,500 licensed residential care facilities in the state with a total bed capacity of 174,108, ranging in size from two-bed facilities to 200+ bed facilities. The average monthly cost per resident, depending on the type of accommodation and services needed, ranges from $2,500 to $3,000.
Assemblymember Rodriguez represents the 52nd Assembly District which includes the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona and portions of unincorporated Fontana.