House Rep. Dan Caulkins | https://repcaulkins.com/
House Rep. Dan Caulkins | https://repcaulkins.com/
Dan Caulkins, House Rep. of Illinois House of Representatives, Illinois General Assembly, emphasized during a House committee hearing on Oct 3rd that the blame for problems in nursing homes should not be placed on the direct care staff. Caulkins stated, "I don’t think any of us that I’ve heard are putting the blame for these problems on the direct care staff. I think this is the furthest from what’s going on. I think the problem that I’ve heard and issues that have been raised come from a lack of supervision if you will by the state in enforcing the rules in place." Caulkins further highlighted the need for oversight and addressed the importance of staffing and response times to hotline calls.
Caulkins, a Republican who was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018, has experience serving on the Public Utilities and Prescription Drug Affordability committees. According to the Illinois House, Caulkins resides in Decatur.
During the committee hearing, Denise Stiger, the union organizer for Teamsters Local 743, shed light on the challenging working conditions faced by nursing home workers. Stiger explained, "Some of these nursing home workers have 20 patients. On third shift, it might be one CNA to one floor...So, that means she is doing the whole floor. Even though they're saying that the patients are asleep at night, they still have to be changed. They still have to be cleaned."
Lawmakers conducted the four-hour-long hearing to gather testimony from various healthcare workers, including unions, nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities. The purpose of the hearing was to address the necessary changes that need to be implemented within the industry.
It is evident from Caulkins' statements and the testimonies presented during the hearing that the focus should be on improving oversight and addressing staffing issues rather than placing blame on the direct care staff in nursing homes.