FLORIDA — The majority of Florida voters want nursing homes to be held accountable when it comes to potential wrongdoing during the pandemic, according to a new survey by AARP, which the organization says shows a lack of support from constituents for the Republican push to grant nursing homes immunity. 

State data shows there have been nearly 11 thousand deaths in long-term care related to COVID-19.  Some of them have been staff members but overwhelmingly that number represents facilities that if passed, proposed legislation in the senate would grant immunity to, should families try to sue. 

But while Senate Bill 74 is backed by many Republicans, the new survey shows their constituents may feel otherwise.

“It is remarkable,” said AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson.  “I don’t know that we have ever seen survey results this consistent. Across age, across party line.”

The results show 96 percent of Republican voters over 50 years old think nursing homes should be held accountable. It also reports 95 percent of Democrats feel the same and 96 percent of independents.

“People recognize that when a family is dealing with the loss of a loved one or if a nursing home resident has suffered neglect or abuse or mistreatment, that they deserve to have their day in court,” Johnson said.

He also points to nursing home reform in 2001 that Johnson said already sets a high enough standard for negligence claims and limits punitive damages. 

“Florida put laws into place 20 years ago that made it very difficult to sue a long term care facility,” Johnson said. “It says a lot that our focus is not on the suffering of residents or the suffering of families but on the potential suffering of a facility.”