ATLANTA – State Representative Ann R. Purcell (R-Rincon) recently received the Outstanding Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia Council on Aging (GCOA), as well as a Legislator of the Year award from the Assisted Living Federation of America and the Georgia Community Care Association. These recognitions come after Representative Purcell’s work last year on Senate Bill 178, which established the “assisted living community” as a new category of long-term health care provider in Georgia.
“I have great respect for these fine organizations,” said Rep. Purcell. “For many years, they have served as guardians over the numerous Georgians needing more residential options. SB 178 does this, and allows Georgia’s seniors to settle in one community without having to worry about difficult and uncomfortable moves to new locations.”
Assisted living communities provide an intermediate level of service between that of personal care and nursing homes. These communities can have medication aides on staff, which are prohibited in personal care homes. A resident who needs help moving in an emergency situation would also be allowed to remain in an assisted living community, as long as there is enough staff to see that the resident remains safe. By recognizing this new category of long-term care, SB 178 allows Georgia seniors to age in place and fills a growing need for this type of facility throughout the state.
For more information on SB 178, please click here.
Representative Ann Purcell represents the citizens of District 159, which includes portions of Chatham and Effingham counties. She was re-elected into the House of Representatives in 2009, and currently serves as Chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, and Vice Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee. She also serves as a member of the Appropriations, Education, Health and Human Services, Human Relations & Aging, and Economic Development and Tourism committees.
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