WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Jesse Jackson Meets with Health Care Workers (Hartford-WTNH) _ The state of our nursing homes and care for our elderly was in focus Wednesday, as Rev. Jesse Jackson toured Hartford's facilities on behalf of state's employees. The 1199 labor union wants Connecticut to increase funding for the homes. They say no money means not enough care and inadequate patient services. News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer reports. The elderly are one of Connecticut's neediest populations. But workers who care for them in nursing homes say they can't give them the care they deserve. Cheryl Filbig, Nurse's Aide: "We are not able to get our residents up and out of bed if we are short staffed... We cant do as much healthcare for our residents." Reverend Jesse Jackson joined the union representing some 6,000 nurses aides and kitchen workers at a rally outside the Department of Social Services, which reimburses homes for Medicaid patients. Workers are demanding more staff and higher wages, and say per-patient funding caps leads to inadequate care. Jesse Jackson: "These workers are overworked and underpaid which means patients are undercared for and that is cruel." Workers from 49 different homes are threatening to strike next month if they don't get new contracts. Nurses aides say right now they do the best they can. Olga Plaza, Nurses Aide: "Lets say 5 people want to use the bedpan. With only 2 people on floor how can you take care of 5 people at the same time?" So how much attention does each resident get? According to state regulations each nursing home must provide a minimum of 1.4 hours of care by a nurse or nurses aid per-patient between the hours of 7am and 9pm. That means each patient must get a minimum of 6 minutes of total care per hour. The union says while patients needs have changed the staffing levels have not since the mid 80s, when the state updated its regulations. Now the union says patients are older and sicker, and often family members like Mary Lou Glynn have to step in and help out. Unfortunately not everyone has family. Mary Lou Glynn, Hartford: "It's important other people are around because they are rather understaffed and you do see people sitting there." Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Jesse Jackson Meets with Health Care Workers
(Hartford-WTNH) _ The state of our nursing homes and care for our elderly was in focus Wednesday, as Rev. Jesse Jackson toured Hartford's facilities on behalf of state's employees. The 1199 labor union wants Connecticut to increase funding for the homes. They say no money means not enough care and inadequate patient services.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer reports.

The elderly are one of Connecticut's neediest populations. But workers who care for them in nursing homes say they can't give them the care they deserve.

Cheryl Filbig, Nurse's Aide: "We are not able to get our residents up and out of bed if we are short staffed... We cant do as much healthcare for our residents."

Reverend Jesse Jackson joined the union representing some 6,000 nurses aides and kitchen workers at a rally outside the Department of Social Services, which reimburses homes for Medicaid patients.

Workers are demanding more staff and higher wages, and say per-patient funding caps leads to inadequate care.

Jesse Jackson: "These workers are overworked and underpaid which means patients are undercared for and that is cruel."

Workers from 49 different homes are threatening to strike next month if they don't get new contracts. Nurses aides say right now they do the best they can.

Olga Plaza, Nurses Aide: "Lets say 5 people want to use the bedpan. With only 2 people on floor how can you take care of 5 people at the same time?"

So how much attention does each resident get? According to state regulations each nursing home must provide a minimum of 1.4 hours of care by a nurse or nurses aid per-patient between the hours of 7am and 9pm. That means each patient must get a minimum of 6 minutes of total care per hour.

The union says while patients needs have changed the staffing levels have not since the mid 80s, when the state updated its regulations. Now the union says patients are older and sicker, and often family members like Mary Lou Glynn have to step in and help out. Unfortunately not everyone has family.

Mary Lou Glynn, Hartford: "It's important other people are around because they are rather understaffed and you do see people sitting there."

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