AARP Maryland Calls for Stronger State Oversight of Adult Living Facilities as New Charges of Abuse are Brought

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2024

Contact:
Nancy Carr, Associate State Director for Communications
ncarr@aarp.org
443-787-5382

ANNAPOLIS, MD – AARP Maryland today applauded Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown for obtaining convictions against four workers providing care to vulnerable adults and urged state officials to strengthen state regulations and oversight of long-term facilities to better protect seniors.

AARP Maryland will continue to advocate for tougher licensing and regulation and more effective oversight to make sure adult living facilities, such as nursing homes and long-term care communities, are held to high standards for health and safety.

“We are grateful that the Attorney General’s office successfully brought charges in these two cases of mistreatment in a senior living facility,” said AARP Maryland Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy Tammy Bresnahan. “Sadly, we know that these are not isolated cases. As a state, we must do more to regulate, monitor and hold these facilities accountable for how they treat our most vulnerable adults. We will continue to work with the General Assembly, the Attorney General’s office, and the Moore administration to make sure they can live with safety and dignity.”

Maryland is faced with a growing population of aging and vulnerable individuals, many of whom seek care and assistance from a long-term care facility. AARP Maryland believes they must have certain fundamental rights, including the right to dignity, the right to be free from chemical restraints and the right to receive adequate medical care in a safe, healthy setting.

The Attorney General’s office today announced convictions in multiple cases of employees physically abusing vulnerable adults in three different jurisdictions. AARP Maryland hears regularly about residents who are neglected or mistreated in adult living facilities. That includes residents being left for days in soiled clothing, patients developing painful bedsores, patients found wandering in the street outside the facility, and residents falling repeatedly, resulting in injury and even death.

AARP Maryland is urging state officials to continue to pursue criminal or civil legal action to make sure the industry gets the message that adverse action is possible if they don’t provide the care these vulnerable individuals deserve. And they urge the public to report abuse and neglect in these facilities by contacting the Attorney General’s office, the Maryland Ombudsman, the Office of Health Care Quality and the Adult Protective Services unit.

At the same time, action is needed to improve state regulations and administrative oversight to protect Maryland’s aging population. AARP Maryland will continue to advocate for legislative and regulatory reforms to better protect our seniors.

Along with stronger oversight of adult living facilities, Maryland must take steps to allow more seniors to remain in their homes and communities. AARP Maryland supports Governor Moore’s Longevity Ready Maryland initiative, including the Multi-Sector Plan for Aging underway at the Maryland Department of Aging.

For more information on questions to ask when choosing a long-term care facility, as well as additional resources for family caregivers, visit www.aarp.org/caregiving.

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AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, and 850,000 members in Maryland, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest-circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.