This bill (S 145) creates a New Jersey state tax deduction for seniors (62+), blind, or disabled taxpayers. It allows up to $50,000 annually in deductions for qualified long-term care expenses (like in-home care, assisted living, or nursing facility services) paid for the taxpayer, their spouse, or disabled dependents. It also provides a separate $50,000 deduction for unreimbursed funeral expenses of a spouse or disabled dependent who was 62+ or disabled at death. The deduction applies only to unreimbursed expenses not already claimed under existing medical expense tax rules.
This bill (S 2980) requires nursing home owners to submit detailed financial and ownership information before transferring ownership or delegating management to third parties. It mandates disclosure of 100% ownership structures, organizational charts, and third-party service providers paying over $200,000 annually, along with resolution of outstanding Medicaid debts. The Department of Health must publicly post applications (with privacy redactions) and allow a 30-day public comment period. These changes aim to increase transparency for prospective buyers and the public while ensuring new owners meet financial and operational standards.
This bill (S 590) allows licensed home health care agencies in New Jersey to employ certified nurse aides as homemaker-home health aides, which is currently prohibited under state law. It directly affects home health care agencies (which can only hire certified homemaker-home health aides today) and certified nurse aides (who are currently restricted from these roles in home care settings). The key provision removes the existing legal barrier, enabling these agencies to hire nurse aides for homemaker-home health aide duties. The bill requires the New Jersey Board of Nursing to create implementing rules and takes effect 90 days after enactment. This changes current practice, where only homemaker-home health aides may be employed by home health agencies, while long-term care facilities can hire both.
This bill (S 2984) requires New Jersey nursing homes with serious or repeated violations of health, safety, and care standards to hire or contract with a management monitor or vendor at their own expense. The Department of Health may mandate this support to remedy violations, transition ownership, ensure safe closure, or prevent operations from stopping. The monitor can attend facility meetings, hire consultants, access records (per privacy laws), and take actions to protect resident health and safety. The law applies only to facilities identified by the Department as having substantial or habitual violations, not all nursing homes.
S 785, the "New Jersey No Patient Left Alone Act," requires community residences for the developmentally disabled, hospices, long-term care facilities, and veterans' homes to establish visitation policies within 30 days of the law taking effect. These policies must guarantee residents daily in-person visitation (at least two hours for most residents, unlimited for terminally ill patients) and prohibit facilities from asking visitors about vaccination status or requiring proof of immunization. The bill also mandates facilities to post policies online and ensures residents can receive visits from family, caregivers, friends, and spiritual advisors without restrictions during emergencies. This directly affects residents of these facilities by legally guaranteeing consistent visitation rights previously subject to facility discretion or emergency closures.
This bill (S 2982) expands the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to cover **all long-term care residents**, removing the previous age restriction that limited its focus to elderly individuals. It updates key definitions to clarify that the Ombudsman's role applies to any resident in facilities providing long-term care (including dementia care homes, retirement communities, and medical day care centers), regardless of age. The bill also broadens the scope of "facilities" covered and revises definitions of terms like "abuse," "exploitation," and "caregiver" to ensure consistent application. This change ensures the Ombudsman can address complaints and protect rights for all long-term care residents, not just those aged 60+. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health Committee.
This bill requires New Jersey long-term care facilities (like nursing homes and assisted living centers) to let residents or their representatives designate up to two essential caregivers for in-person visits during health emergencies such as pandemics. Facilities must document these designations in residents' care plans, provide visitation time equal to normal circumstances, and post clear policies online about caregiver rights. It prohibits facilities from imposing stricter infection protocols on caregivers than on staff and mandates written information to residents about how to designate caregivers. The bill directly affects long-term care residents and their chosen caregivers, ensuring consistent access during crises.
This bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover social adult day care services for seniors aged 60 or older who meet the same clinical, income, and asset requirements as participants in the state's Medicaid long-term care program (MLTSS). It expands current coverage, which only applies to MLTSS enrollees, to all eligible seniors regardless of MLTSS enrollment. Social adult day care is defined as a community-based program providing non-medical support (like meals and supervision) during the day when caregivers are unavailable. The state must seek federal approval for implementation through Medicaid waivers before the coverage becomes active.
S 3023 protects residents of long-term care facilities (like nursing homes and assisted living facilities) and long-term acute care hospitals by preventing facility staff, owners, or financially benefiting parties from managing residents' finances or serving as their legal representatives. It requires facilities to use standardized admission forms developed by the Department of Health, with input from stakeholders, and prohibits residents from signing non-standard documents during admission. The bill also gives residents a legal right to sue if facilities violate these protections, allowing recovery of damages, attorney fees, and punitive penalties for financial exploitation. These changes directly affect residents, their families, and facility operators by creating new safeguards against financial abuse during admission and care.
S 2990 requires New Jersey long-term care facilities to establish specific pharmacy staffing and oversight structures. Each facility must have a consultant pharmacist (who cannot also serve as the pharmacy director or provider and must attest to avoiding conflicts of interest) and either a provider pharmacist or a pharmacy director if the facility has an in-house pharmacy. Facilities must also form a pharmacy committee including the administrator, nursing staff, and consultant pharmacist, which meets at least quarterly and maintains detailed records. Additionally, facilities storing controlled substances must maintain current federal and state drug registration records. The bill codifies existing rules while adding new conflict-of-interest safeguards for pharmacy oversight.
