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Advocates for seniors are trying to cut down on abuse and neglect in Assisted Living Facilities. A task force charged with creating solutions to problems that led to the deaths of 70 assisted living residents over the past nine years held its first of three meetings today in Tallahassee. As Whitney Ray tells us, the task force is taking on an industry that’s had success in lobbying the legislature to cut regulations and oversight.

Stories of abuse, neglect and starvation in some of Florida’s 3-thousand assisted living facilities have prompted action by the state.

A newspaper investigation found 70 people died of abuse and neglect in assisted living facilities since 2002, and many were left living in filth, with inadequate supervision.

The first meeting of a task forced charged with fixing the problems met in Tallahassee Monday. State Senator Ronda Storms is on the task force. She says the state needs tougher laws to shut down the facilities that are neglecting residents.

“Those facilities that are failing and people are dying and being hurt as a result of negligence or willful incompetence, then they need to be shut down,” said Storms.

The task force will develop methods to improve transparency and accountability. The ideas will then be debated in legislative committee meetings this fall. But the ideas will be challenged by an industry that historically gets its way in this building. Year after year lobbying to cut regulations and winning.”

Brian Lee, a former ombudsman for long term care turned Executive Director of Families for Better Care says it’s going to be tough turn things around.

“There are three different associations that represent assisted living facilities so their messaging is getting to the policymakers so it’s really has been one sided for a number of years,” said Lee.

Governor Rick Scott called for the task force. Scott, who is for less regulations overall, says neglect by a few bad facilities may be making the whole industry look bad. More than a dozen assisted living facility executives landed positions on the panel, a sign to advocates for residents that passing reforms will be a challenge.