Partner graduate and Advocate of the Year, Dave Zilles, became an advocate of modifying the Nurse Practice Act this past legislative session.
In today’s world of people with disabilities, there are times when individuals that are on the Medicaid Waiver programs need medical assistance with health maintenance activities like catheter irrigation, trach/vent care, bowel/bladder control or feeding tubes and blood sugar testing/insulin. These are tasks that require a License Nurse to available to perform and yet family members can be trained to perform this tasks without any concern from the Medical Community. Within Georgia along it is projects that 163,000 individuals with physical or developmental disabilities are being cared for by family members. Today, paid personal assistants are not allowed to perform these tasks even if they are trained and qualified.
During the 2009 Legislative session, a Bill (SB 244) was introduced to modify the Nurse Practice Act so that trained unlicensed assistive personnel (Certified Nursing Assistants/Direct Support Staff) could provide these services in home and community based settings to individuals that were on the Medicaid Waivers. The bill passed the Senate and was stopped in the House. Dave Zilles, Graduate of Partners in Policy Making and also Board member of the State Independent Living Council was very involved with this legislation and recently presented to the Georgia Board of Nursing the rationale for this legislation and requested their assistance to find a way to provide this type of support for people in Georgia with Disabilities. He is also a member of an Acuity Task force run by the Governor's office that is working to address this same issue. Dave was recently recognized at the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, Making a Difference Annual Appreciation Ceremony, as Advocate of the Year for his work on the Nurse Practice Act.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Nurse Practice Act or supporting Dave’s work, contact him at:
Dave Zilles
dzilles@earthlink.net
678-596-6751 Cell
All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
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