DENVER —
Governor Jared Polis signed a new law on Monday that is designed to help people who are languishing in hospitals but who don’t need critical or acute care---an issue highlighted by the 9Wants to Know STRANDED investigation.
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On any given day, 9Wants to Know found dozens of people with conditions like Alzheimer's Disease and dementia are stuck in Colorado hospitals because they’ve been abandoned by family and conventional nursing homes don’t have the ability or the means to take care of them.
Such patients, with severe behavioral health issues, can end up spending months and even years stuck in hospital rooms.
The new law creates a pilot program that will test out a new model of mental health care for people with severe behavioral health problems. The new care model would operate like a hybrid between a nursing home and a hospital, filling a void medical case workers say is desperately needed.
The pilot program will eventually launch in two locations in the state.
“I want to thank Channel 9 News and their STRANDED episode,” said Rep. Jonathan Singer. “...a mental health issue should never be a life sentence to a hospital bed.”
The bill was sponsored by Singer and Senators Lois Landgraf and Pete Lee.
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