LOS ANGELES – Nursing homes could eventually face a new city fee when they call firefighters to lift residents who do not need emergency medical care.
The City Council voted 14-0 on Feb. 17 to order the Los Angeles Fire Department and City Administrative Officer to study whether the city should create a “Non-Emergency Lift” fee for nursing homes and long-term care facilities that call 911 when residents fall or cannot get up without help.
The motion, introduced by Councilmember Heather Hutt and seconded by Councilmember Traci Park, takes aim at a quiet drain on emergency resources – calls where firefighters are dispatched not because someone needs treatment or transport, but because facility staff cannot or will not help a resident stand up…