Today, the Illinois Nursing Home Task Force will hold its second meeting regarding patient safety. The task force will hear testimony from: patients, elder care advocates and senior service providers with the goal of re-evaluating current nursing home policies, improving coordination between state agencies and to consider nursing home alternatives for people with special needs.

The task force was recently formed in response to a Chicago Tribune series of articles chronicling the safety problems in Illinois nursing homes.   The series detailed how many seniors in nursing homes suffer serious injury or death from an un-regulated group of younger patients with psychiatric conditions and criminal records.

The task force is headed by Michael Gelder, an adviser to Governor Pat Quinn.  "All of us have a role to play in ensuring the safety and well-being of nursing home residents, and we urge the public to join us in this critical work," added Gelder.

The meeting will be held today at 10 a.m. in Room 16-503 at the Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph Street, Chicago.  The meeting will be broadcast on the Internet here.  Lastly, you may leave comments and recommendations regarding Illinois Nursing Homes at the newly formed Nursing Home Safety website.

The group is scheduled to complete a report by January 31, 2010.

Read more about this nursing home meeting here.

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