Data bank could help ensure seniors get proper care

A Senate bill, introduced by South Carolina’s Tim Scott, would give nursing home operators access to a national data bank to allow them to screen and vet potential employees. The purpose is to ensure that caregivers don’t have a history that would endanger the seniors they care for. The bill is called Ensuring Seniors Access to Quality Care. Virginia’s Mark Warner joined Scott in offering the bill. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the need for nursing assistants to care for the growing aging population is projected to rise to nine percent between 2018 and 2028.