Quality of Care Newsday had a remarkable article about how the pandemic revealed the pre-existing problems in the nursing home industry. Short-staffing, poor infection control, and high turnover rates for caregivers lead to neglect, abuse, and wrongful death. The article states nursing home residents account for less than half-of-1-percent of the U.S. population but roughly
The Chicago Sun Times reported the problems in Illinois nursing homes during the last year. In 2019, Illinois ranked last in nursing home staffing. The neglect and abuse exist despite getting bailouts and windfalls from the government. Taxpayers sent $240 million to nursing homes to address staffing numbers. This included at least $880 million for
Wage Increases Nursing home operators raised wages for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) since the pandemic. The power of unions, market dynamics and Biden’s public policy shifts led to increased wages. For example, Avamere and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 503 agreed to a contract providing $18 an hour for new
Private Equity Investors U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) is chairman of the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee. He wrote a letter asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate the relationship between private equity investments and closed healthcare facilities. Private-equity has exploited the industry and siphoned taxpayer funds away from resident care. Pascrell cited increased surprise
Systemic Siphoning United States Department of Justice issued a press release on the SavaSeniorCare False Claims Act settlement. The lawsuits allege that Sava submitted false claims for rehabilitation therapy services by engaging in a systematic effort to increase its Medicare billings. “Too many unscrupulous nursing homes operators seek maximum profit by routinely inflating bills while
New Jersey passed a law requiring nursing homes to disclose the names of owners and relate entities. Ownership transparency increases accountability and safety. As a nursing home attorney, this is progress. I hope South Carolina passes similar legislation. The law requires operators to disclose material information about changes of ownership. This will help find repeat