BILL NO. 71
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
67 Elizabeth II, 2018
Private Member's Bill
Pressure Sore Accountability Act
Karla MacFarlane
Pictou West
First Reading: September 28, 2018
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting the Prevention of Pressure Sores
in Long-term Care Facilities
1 This Act may be cited as the Pressure Sore Accountability Act.
2 In this Act,(a) "long-term care facility" means nursing homes and residential care facilities as defined in the Homes for Special Care Act;
(b) "Minister" means the Minister of Health and Wellness;
(c) "prescribed" means prescribed by the regulations;
(d) "pressure sore" means a sore that develops on the skin due to pressure, friction or shear;
(e) "wound-care specialist" means
- (i) a registered nurse certified in enterostomal therapy,
(ii) a registered nurse certified under a prescribed wound-management program, or
(iii) a plastic surgeon.3 A long-term care facility shall put measures in place to decrease the number of patients in its care who develop stage three or four pressure sores.
4 A long-term care facility shall provide a patient in its care who has a stage three or four pressure sore with an air-bed.
5 A long-term care facility shall refer a patient in its care who has a stage three or four pressure sore to a wound-care specialist.
6 The Minister shall make publicly available, on a website and in a prescribed manner, the results of inspections of long-term care facilities.
7 (1) Every person being an officer or employee of a long-term care facility who violates or fails to observe or comply with this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence.
(2) A person who is guilty of two or more offences under subsection (1) is liable to a prescribed penalty.
(3) The Minister may cancel or suspend the license of a long-term care facility that employs a person who is guilty of two or more offences under subsection (1) while under the employment of the long-term care facility.
8 (1) The Minister may make regulations respecting(a) a method of making information available to the public;
(b) an approved wound-management program;
(c) penalties for a violation of this Act;
(d) any matter or thing that the Minister considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2018 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created September 28, 2018. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
