A Missouri law passed in the 1970s requires the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to have an advocate for senior citizens, but that requirement has slipped through the cracks all these years. Lt. Gov. David Wasinger wants to roll out an advocacy office for people who need help to resolve issues with the care provided to their aging loved ones in nursing homes and senior living centers.

“Rather than being the bad guy, we would like to develop a relationship where we want to get in front of these issues and work with these senior living facilities. We can be if need be,” said Wasinger. “Rather than be the, you know, getting the complaint calls, we would like to be on the front of it so families never have to go through this where they we don’t have complaint calls.”

Wasinger told Missourinet he’s working with the legislature and governor’s office to designate state funding to launch the office.

“Right now, frankly it’s an unfunded mandate,” he said. “I don’t think that’s intentional. I think it’s been an oversight on the part of the legislature.”

As lieutenant governor, Wasinger, a Republican, serves as the state advocate for senior citizens. Quality care for senior citizens is something that is near and dear to his heart because his mother is living in a senior center.

“Frankly, a lot of people don’t know which way to turn, and they’re concerned about making a complaint to the senior living facility. They’re concerned that they’re (the senior living facility) going to take it out on their loved one. So, we don’t want to go through that process. We want, you know, to serve as an intermediary,” said Wasinger. “They don’t want to receive the complaints. Our office doesn’t want to receive the complaints, so we really want to get in front of these issues.”

The Missouri Legislature continues to craft its state budget for the next fiscal year that begins in July.