Legislators, seniors, caregivers and families, including 65 SEIU retirees, held a press conference on Nov. 6 to call for more accountability for the nursing home industry.



State Senator Dwight Bullard (D-Miami) and State Representative Joe Saunders (D-Orlando) are working together to craft legislation that will provide more transparency for families about the care their loved ones are receiving in Florida nursing homes.



Here's the report from WCTV news in Tallahassee:



Jasmin Loriezo says her 84-year-old aunt does not like being in a nursing home in Orlando. She says, "She doesn't like the food sometimes or she cannot get around because nobody's there to help her because sometimes they are short-handed."



Advocates say some complaints by nursing home residents can be more severe. They say out of the 682 licensed nursing homes in Florida, 139 are on the Agency for Health Care Administration's (AHCA) watch list.



The watch list designation is for facilities with a record of resident neglect, health and safety violations, inappropriate staffing and supervision, and financial mismanagement.



Legislators, seniors, caregivers, and advocates gathered at the Capitol Wednesday to support a bill they say would increase accountability and transparency for nursing homes placed on the watch list.





Click here to watch a video covering the press conference.