LGBTSHC and LGBTQ advocates gather at the Office of the New Jersey Long-term Care Ombudsman

LGBT Senior Housing and Care, Garden State Equality, Hudson Pride Center, SAGE Jersey City, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and LGBTQIAA advocates gathered at the Office of the New Jersey Long-term Care Ombudsman, Laurie Brewer to discuss Bill No. S3484 expected to be posted in the current New Jersey legislative session. Prime Sponsors are Senators Troy Singleton, Richard J. Codey, Joseph F Vitale, Loretta Weinberg and Vin Gopal. The identical Assembly bill A5075 Prime Sponsors include Assemblypersons Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Joann Downey and Mila M. Jasey.

The bill establishes requirements concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex and HIV status residents of long-term care facilities. Requirements include but are not limited to prohibitions on disclosure, denying admission, transfers, room assignment, restroom use, chosen pronoun usage, clothing expression, association, sexual relations and appropriate medical care. Requirements also include posting nondiscrimination signage and contact information for the State Office of the Long-term care Ombudsman, record keeping and direct care requirements and LGBTQI sensitivity training for all staff and care providers.

LGBT Senior Housing and Care and participating statewide LGBTQIAA advocates submitted recommendations on how to effectively facilitate and monitor the requirements of the bill as well as specific training modules to use to educate staff, residents and vendors of LTC facilities in LGBTQIAA care.

To read the latest version of the complete bill visit https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S3484

From front to back, left to right: Jackie Baras RWJUH PROUD Chairperson, NJ State LTC Ombudsman Laurie Brewer, Amy Simon LGBTSHC President , Vanessa Nazario RWJUH Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Amy Brown NJ Long-term Care Ombudsman Director of Advocacy and Outreach, David Rosen Hudson Pride Center and LGBTSHC VP Training, Graeme Davis, RWJUH PROUD/LGBTSHC, Bianca Mayes Garden State Equality Director of Health and Wellness, Lazara Paz-Gonzalez HQSI, Gordon Sauer SAGE Jersey City/GAAMC.

We will keep you posted on the progress of the legislation. Stay tuned for S3484 applicable training modules for Long-term care communities from LGBT Senior Housing and Care.

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