Rep. Scribner, a member of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, listened to hours of testimony on Friday about a very important bill, HB 5499 – An Act Concerning Regulations Relating to Hospice Care. The bill aims to allow State hospice care in multiple forms, including at-home care, instead of just hospital-based care as current law stipulates. This would give patients the comfort and security of having the choice to either be at home or in a facility near their families during the end of their life.
The regulatory changes have been recommended by the state Department of Public Health and have been before the legislature’s Regulation Review Committee and the Attorney General’s Office. Rep. Scribner is a long time advocate and volunteer for the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut and has served as a member of their Board of Directors for many years. Passage of the regulation changes or the legislative proposal would allow plans for a state-of-the-art, 12 bed, in patient, palliative care facility in Danbury as well as one in Southeastern CT to proceed.
