Vote No on SB 1779 Medication Aide in LongTerm Care

Ask the Human Services Committee Members to VOTE NO on SB1779.

In 2014, Nurses worked with the long-term care industry to introduce SB 2958, which passed and became Public Act 98-0990. This bill allowed for a three-year pilot program to gather data on the safety and efficacy of medication aides (MA-C) in long-term care. These MA-C would work under a registered nurse's direct supervision and delegation. At the end of the three years, the pilot ended without sufficient data to present a report to the General Assembly. 

Now, when the industry is struggling due to workforce shortages and still trying to recover from the impact of the pandemic, they seek to implement medication aides without proof that they can work safely in Illinois. We stand opposed to this proposal. Nurses cannot support medication aides in long-term care facilities without the data to prove that this will work in Illinois without a negative impact on the care of the elderly. We also believe medication aides should be licensed under IDFPR and not regulated by IDPH, as this legislation proposes.