[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 48 (Thursday, March 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FOOD SAFETY IN RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 19, 2009

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
legislation to ensure that food served in nursing homes is safe and 
nutritious. Recently a constituent from my district visited me to 
discuss food safety and nutrition in nursing homes. He is a Director of 
Dining Services at a nursing home in Prince William County. Based on 
his experience, he suggested that requiring Medicare and Medicaid food 
service facilities, like nursing homes, to have Certified Dietary 
Managers or qualified dieticians as food service managers would ensure 
that food served in these facilities is safe and nutritious.
  The legislation I have introduced today would require that Medicare 
and Medicaid food service facilities have either a qualified dietician 
or Certified Dietary Manager as director of food services. A qualified 
dietician has four years of training in college, and a Certified 
Dietary Manager must complete a rigorous food preparation program. This 
is a commonsense requirement to ensure that senior citizens have safe 
food, and is particularly important as our population ages.
  I would like to emphasize that this proposal came from a local 
business, and has the support of other companies that operate nursing 
homes in my district. I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with 
our partners in the business community to introduce this legislation, 
which could help protect the health of seniors across the country.

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