Sen. Kelly Pushes Back on Gov. Lamont Extending Nursing Home Legal Immunity

November 10, 2020

Kelly: “You cannot take away the eyes and ears of vulnerable people and at the same time remove all elements of accountability.”

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) released the following statement in response to Governor Ned Lamont’s administration’s decision to extend legal immunity for nursing homes, shielding facilities from lawsuits, to February 9, 2021.

“I am very disappointed that Governor Lamont decided to extend legal immunity for nursing homes again. As visitation remains a continuing problem, families of nursing home residents have lost not only their ability to look out for their loved ones, they have also lost the ability to hold facilities accountable. You cannot take away the eyes and ears of vulnerable people and at the same time remove all elements of accountability. There needs to be a balance and right now the weight has shifted too far away from patients’ rights. If legal immunity remains, there must simultaneously be a much stronger effort to allow families back in to facilities to safely see their loved ones. We must increase ways family members can interact with and monitor their loved ones’ wellbeing. From in room cameras, to including patients in decisions to allow for compassionate care visits, to better defining gross negligence, there are steps that must be considered as a balance to immunity. I understand the Governor may be open to these conversations and I hope they progress forward quickly, but the fact remains that immunity should never have been extended without first implementing a plan to protect nursing home residents by ending social isolation and increasing safe family access and oversight.”