SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A Democrat lawmaker has a new bill that would require all assisted living and shared homes to have an AED on-site.
The plan would also train all healthcare employees at the facility on how to use defibrillators in emergencies.
State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) in her office talking about requiring AED's in all assisted living facilities.
State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said this is a critical bill that will save lives.
"This is absolutely a great thing to do," Turner said. "It's great to have [AED's] everywhere but especially in these types of facilities."
According to the American Heart Association, people in the first couple of minutes of cardiac arrest that receive defibrillator treatment, 9/10 people survive.
Turner said the Illinois Department of Aging approached her with the idea for the plan.
"When you have that type of facility and you have individuals that are placed in your care, you really should be able to ensure their health and wellbeing is foremost in everybody's mind," Turner said.
The AED's will not come out of the state budget. Instead, facilities will have to front the cost for buying and placing the defibrillators on site.
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services committee, where lawmakers could talk about it next week.
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