A state bill targeting education and training on blood clots would require assisted living communities to provide new residents with information on risk factors and signs of venous thromboembolisms.
The Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, Florida SB 890, was passed by the Florida Legislature and awaits the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The bill would require assisted living communities to provide a consumer information pamphlet to new residents upon admission. The pamphlet must contain information about VTE, including risk factors and how residents can recognize signs and symptoms.
The bill also has requirements for other care settings. For instance, it would update training protocols for nursing homes to include recognizing symptoms or blood clots and emergency response techniques, require hospitals to implement clot risk screening protocols, change training for emergency and post-acute care providers, and report data in an effort to strengthen prevention efforts statewide.
Doug Adkins, executive director of Dayspring Senior Living/Dayspring Village in Hilliard, FL, and his wife, Janet, promoted the bill after their daughter Emily died from a blood clot. The Adkins are members of the Florida Health Care Association, which supported the bill. They founded Emily’s Promise as a not-for-profit foundation to raise awareness of blood clots, pulmonary embolisms and ankle fractures.
“Janet and Doug Adkins have long been part of the FHCA family, and we’re proud to honor Emily’s memory through this important legislation,” FHCA CEO Emmett Reed said in a statement. “Pulmonary embolisms are a serious but preventable risk, especially for seniors, where underlying conditions and immobility are more common. This bill is a powerful reminder that smarter screening and better training can make all the difference.”
Bijou Ikli, CEO of the Florida Assisted Living Association, initially did not support the bill because it included assisted living communities among other settings — including skilled nursing facilities and hospitals — in requiring staff members to identify individuals at risk for blood clots. She noted that Doug Adkins also has been a FALA board member for several years.
In testimony before the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Health and Human Services Committee, Ilki said she supported more education, training and diligence from medical providers but that as residential care facilities, assisted living communities are not healthcare providers.
“The expectation for staff at an assisted living facility — who are unlicensed, trained individuals who provide personal care services — to recognize signs and symptoms is unrealistic and outside the scope of what assisted living facilities are realistically expected and designed to do,” Ikli testified. “Our responsibility is to ensure our residents are receiving the appropriate medical care — we rely on our medical partners and physicians to do what’s right.”
FALA issued its support for the bill after language was changed to require assisted living communities to provide consumer education about VTEs rather than identify residents with risk factors.
The Florida Senior Living Association called the bill a vital step toward data-driven policy, enhancing the collection of essential data on VTE.
“We are particularly pleased HB 1421 ensures assisted living residents receive information about VTE upon admission, including risk factors and how to recognize symptoms,” FSLA General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer Jason Hand told McKnight’s Senior Living. “This complements existing assisted living facility staff protocols for monitoring residents for significant changes, which may include VTE indicators.”
LeadingAge Southeast said it worked with lawmakers and stakeholders to ensure the provisions of the bill were appropriate for all long-term care settings, including assisted living.
“We are pleased that the final legislation promotes consumer awareness by providing assisted living facility residents with educational materials about VTE risk factors and symptoms, without placing clinical responsibilities on staff who are not licensed healthcare practitioners,” Nick Van Der Linden, LeadingAge Southeast senior director of operations, told McKnight’s Senior Living. “This adjustment respects the residential model of assisted living, while supporting informed decision-making for residents and their families.”
Source: McKnights Seniorliving
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