A recent bill has been introduced for Texas Legislature consideration. The S.B. 611 bill was created in a response to the recent story of Billy Chemirmir that worked in independent facilities around the Dallas-Fort Worth area for roughly two years.
During that time, Chemirmir has been accused of committing more than 20 murders of the elderly residents living in those facilities. His accused method involved pretending to be a maintenance worker to enter the apartments of elderly women. Once inside, he has been accused of suffocating them, stealing their jewelry, and left the scene to look like a natural death. It was then accused that he sold the stolen jewelry to cash-for-gold shops.
The killings were made easier due to the lack of security in some senior apartments and the willingness of cash-for-gold shops to buy the stolen items without question. To protect seniors from such incidents, H.B. 1100 was introduced. The bill proposes that senior retirement communities conduct criminal history checks for all their employees. They must also inform residents whether employees from outside businesses providing services in the community have undergone criminal history checks. Additionally, the bill requires communities to notify residents of any known criminal activity that might endanger them.
In an effort to hold senior retirement communities accountable, the bill allows for civil liability in cases where certain damages occur. The goal of H.B. 1100 is to create a safer environment for seniors in retirement communities and prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
Critics of the bill have made claims that it could have unintended consequences that range from limiting a resident’s ability to have visitors as they please. The same critics agree that better consumer education needs to occur but continue to balance the independence of their aging residents too.
The safety of your aging loved one is of the utmost importance to you in the role of caregiver. The bill will likely go through changes and may not even pass but you should know your rights and your loved one’s rights as an independent living resident. Contact Senior Living Specialists and we can further discuss what safety protocols you should expect and what facilities may provide those so you can have a peace of mind.
