McHenry Times

State Sen. Don DeWitte said Senate Bill 2137 will help address the well-being concerns of nursing home residents.

During a news conference, the senator articulated the importance of passing Senate Bill 2137 which amends the Nursing Home Care Act to allow nursing home residents access to virtual technology in communicating with family members.

"I am proud to be a chief co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2137, the nursing home residents’ virtual visitation bill championed by AARP along with Sen. Collins and Sen. Fine,” DeWitte said. “We've learned during COVID-19 that the social-emotional well-being of nursing home residents has suffered dramatically due to safety restrictions by federal and state guidance. Nursing home residents were prohibited to hug or hold their loved ones, our state's most vulnerable seniors suffered alone and isolated during COVID."

The bill provides for the Department of Health to require each long-term care facility in Illinois to provide for the availability of technology to facility residents and ensure that appropriate staff are trained properly to prevent social isolation of facility residents.

"The Senate Bill 2137 helps address this concern by connecting our nursing home residents to their loved ones through virtual visitations," DeWitte said.

The bill also provides the Department of Health to distribute civil monetary penalty funds, as approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and any other available federal and state funds, upon request, to facilities for communicative technologies and accessories needed for the purposes of the provisions.

“This legislation is timely given the significant challenges these facilities and their residents have faced during the pandemic,” DeWitte added. “The bill would permit a facility to designate a person to train staff, social workers, or volunteers to provide direct help to the residents to connect virtually with loved ones and with family. Cleaning and sanitizing of equipment to protect our residents' health will be included in a facility's virtual visitation policy.”

SB 2137 has recently passed the Senate by a  53-0 vote.