Summer Study on Long Term Care held their first meeting Tuesday

PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- The “Study Committee on Sustainable Models for Long Term Care” of the South Dakota legislature held its first meeting of the interim Tuesday.

Committee Chair, Senator Jean Hunhoff of Yankton, laid out her vision for the committee.

Hunhoff says they need to gather a lot of information.

Hunhoff says they will split into five workgroups.

During the meeting, Tim Rave, President of the state Association of Health Care Organizations, told the committee a survey they did of long term care facilities found a lot of buildings that need to be replaced.

Rave says they also heard about staffing issues at nursing homes.

Rave said easing up on training rules would be a help to those facilities.

The committee also got a report from the Legislative Research Council on previous long-term care studies.