Report: California Fails To Regulate Caregivers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A legislative report says California is putting its elderly population at risk of theft and abuse because the state does not regulate in-home caregivers.

The Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes issued the report Thursday. It found that California is one of a handful of states that does not regulate in-home care agencies.

The report found that more than a quarter of caregivers accused or convicted of crimes had committed prior offenses. It found many agencies do a shoddy job of conducting background checks on potential caregivers.

Few people know they have a right to request a background check on a potential caregiver.

The report urges the state to let clients check on past convictions and create a registry that would allow clients to find caregivers who have been screened.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)