Benoit proposing plan to curb elder abuse via fraud
DESERT SUN WIRES
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
A Riverside County lawmaker introduced legislation today that would require individuals who provide services to the elderly and disabled under state-subsidized programs to undergo background checks to screen out potential fraudsters.
Sen. John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, said SB 246 would mandate that any
independent contractor working in the state's In-Home Supportive Services
program agree to a background investigation and fingerprint registration.
IHSS is a state-supported program -- administered through county Adult
Protective Services offices -- which extends assistance to low-income elderly
residents, most of whom are on Medi-Cal, as well as the disabled.
IHSS caregivers visit patients in private homes, hotels, hospitals or
health clinics, providing help with meal preparation, housekeeping, grocery
shopping, bathing and grooming, medication dispensation and other domestic
services, according to the California Department of Social Services.
Benoit said greater safeguards should be in place to prevent exploitation of the system.
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