Scott's Shifty Stance on ALFs: In Like a Lion; Out Like a Lamb

Last year, Florida governor Rick Scott announced with great bravado his plans to implement strict measures to prevent the rampant neglect and abuse of disabled and elderly residents at assisted living facilities (ALFs). In mid-2011, Scott formed a panel to restore regulations that had been relaxed by state legislators in recent years, thereby increasing the already deplorable conditions of many ALFs throughout Florida.  According to an article in today’s Tampa Bay Times, residents have suffered “burns, beatings, and death” at many such facilities.  Florida’s nursing homes have also been widely criticized for similarly abysmal treatment of residents, but they were excluded from the scope of this panel.

A year and a half later, Scott has receded dramatically from his previously valiant stance on ALF reform. The final report issued by his panel this week suggests merely that the state should “better enforce existing rules rather than create new ones.” Also, the report actually recommends giving more money to ALFs instead of fining them and imposing other sanctions.

Not surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Times article reveals that ALF advocates “had the lion’s share of seats” on Scott’s reform panel; thus, any hope of achieving meaningful reform and strengthened regulations was nothing more than a good idea. Efforts by some Florida lawmakers to pass stricter educational requirements for ALF caretakers and greater government oversight were defeated in the 2012 legislative session, thanks to the power of influential lobbyists in the ALF industry.

The injury and trial attorneys at Perenich the Law Firm are all too familiar with the pervasive negligence at assisted living facilities in Clearwater and surrounding areas throughout Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough counties. The lack of proper oversight and lax regulation of such facilities has resulted in permanent injuries and death to some of our state’s most vulnerable residents. Despite the disappointing outcome of Governor Scott’s panel on ALF reform, we remain hopeful that the Florida legislation will do the right thing in the coming year and decide with its conscience rather than its financial interests.