First Lady Vows Protection and Respect For Seniors During Queens Visit

LUKE ALBERTS
Staff Writer
Although the national press concentrated on covering Hillary Rodham Clintons explanation of the Arafat kiss controversy during her visit last Thursday to Queens, there were other stories that got little play.
During the First Ladys appearance at the Bell Park Jewish Center in Queens Village, Borough President Claire Shulman announced her endorsement of Clinton in her race for the U.S. Senate.
After plunging directly into the audience to personally greet those in attendance, Clinton was then introduced by Assemblyman Mark Weprin who likened her to "[incumbent Senator Daniel Patrick] Moynihan on policy, and [former Senator Alphonse] DAmato on potholes," garnering laughs all around, including from Clinton.
Weprin also pointed out that the election district in which the Bell Park Jewish Center is situated has the highest voting turnout in the entire city.
Clinton then took the stage of the packed auditorium where she touched on a variety of issues of concern to the largely senior citizen audience, including a question about the recent reports of elder abuse at Queens nursing homes.
In a speech which lasted almost an hour the First Lady unveiled new proposals designed to protect seniors, stating that she would fight to protect nursing home residents and enforce greater staff accountability in nursing homes across the country. Her plan, which she outlined as Protecting Residents from Potential Harm, calls for protection of seniors and ensures staff accountability in their treatment.
Unlike 33 other states in the nation, New York State currently does not have a statewide system of background checks for direct care employees in nursing homes. Clinton explained that in her proposal, prior to hiring direct care employees, federally funded nursing facilities would be required to request a criminal background check from the New York State Employee Registry. Clintons plan would require covered facilities to report documented findings of patient abuse and would call for imposing civil penalties upon those facilities in which the abuse took place.
"No senior citizen should have to live in poverty after a lifetime of hard work," said Clinton. "We cannot continue to put peoples lives, health and safety at risk. Just because they’re out of sight in a nursing home, does not mean we should forget them."
Clinton vowed that if elected she would propose long term care tax cuts, including fighting to repeal Medicaid taxes in order to bridge the gap on lagging standards on nursing home health care between New York and the rest of the nation.
Clintons proposal would support legislation to require federally funded nursing facilities to post care-giver staffing information on the Internet specifically staffing ratios and the number of hours of resident care per day so that families and prospective residents can determine how adequately the facility is staffed This information would be posted on the existing Department of Health and Human Services "Nursing Home Compare" website. It will also publish information on any violations that the nursing home has experienced. She cited "an agenda to strengthen Social Security and Medicaid" drawing the greatest applause of the afternoon. "I will lead the fight to insure that its there," said Clinton.
The Queens Courier asked Clinton what she would do, if elected, to reduce the soaring cost of prescription drugs draining the pockets of senior citizens.
Outlining her plan, she explained that she would lower costs of prescription. She vowed to continue her work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as explaining the possibility of re-importing prescription drugs from Canada where often they are less expensive than in the United States.
The First Lady cited a drug called Tamoxifen used in treatment of breast cancer, which costs $50 in Canada but $390 in the United States. She also suggested investigating the possibility of being able to buy prescription drugs off the Internet.
The mood of the event shifted when Clinton was asked about her kissing Suha Arafat, wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, during a trip to the West Bank last November. Clinton defended the action, explaining that in the Middle East "a kiss is a handshake." Frances Kalman, the 74-year-old Queens Village resident who questioned the First Lady about Arafat, said that she was basically satisfied with her response.
After the speech, Clinton invited Queens media to a roundtable discussion. Citing her conference on autism last month at the Fresh Meadows School, The Queens Courier asked Clinton if she had additional ideas about treatment of the disease. Citing statistics that there are one in 150 autistic children in New York, Clinton continued to pledge for "more funding and research, as well as "comprehensive treatment."