Ohio Senate Committee Continues Hearings on Never Alone Act

COLUMBUS- The Senate Health Committee held its second hearing on the Never Alone Act, sponsored by State Representatives Melanie Miller (R-City of Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena).

House Bill 236 passed with a unanimous vote of 88-0 in the Ohio House.  The legislation ensures every patient has access to an advocate to be with them in a hospital, nursing home, or other congregate care setting - especially during a health emergency. 

“This is another step in the right direction to protect the rights of a patient to have access to a loved one or advocate to act on behalf of their best interest while in a hospital or care facility,” said Miller. “I appreciate the Senate Health Committee continuing to make progress on the Never Alone Act.”

Specifically, the Never Alone Act:

• Requires a congregate care setting to inform a patient or resident that the patient or resident may designate an individual to serve as an advocate and to provide the patient or resident the opportunity to make a designation.
• Prohibits a congregate care setting from 1: denying a patient or resident access to an advocate and 2: prohibiting an advocate from being physically present with a patient or resident.
• Prohibits a political subdivision, public official, or state agency from issuing an order or rule, or enforcing on behalf of the federal government a federal order or rule, that would require a care setting to violate the bill’s provisions. 
• Requires the Department of Health to create a Never Alone information sheet and each congregate care setting to provide each patient or resident with a copy at the time of admission.

The Never Alone Act will continue to receive hearings in the Senate Health Committee.