Waves Of New Fund Cuts Imperil US Nursing Homes

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

(10-04) 12:14 PDT Hartford, Conn. (AP) --

The nation's nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.

A Medicare rate adjustment that cuts an estimated $16 billion in nursing home funding over the next 10 years was enacted at week's end by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — on top of state-level cuts or flat-funding that already had the industry reeling.

And Congress is debating slashing billions more in Medicare funding as part of health care reform.

Add it all up, and the nursing home industry is headed for a crisis, industry officials say.

"We can foresee the possibility of nursing homes having to close their doors," said David Hebert, a senior vice president at the American Health Care Association. "I certainly foresee that we'll have to let staff go."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/04/national/a113328D26.DTL

[tinkerbell41]

1. Nice.

My father was brought along by his new wife to vote against raising their taxes to support local nursing home. BITCH!!!!!

[Downwinder]

6. Community property state?

[JNelson6563]

2. Ruh-roh.

This is going to get ugly.

Julie

[nightrain]

3. knr. This needs greater exposure. Very troubling.

[Doremus]

4. "Let staff go" Good gods, most nursing homes are just warehouses now.

WTH will they be if they let even their skeleton crews go?

They really need to offer more in-home support so people wouldn't need nursing homes.

[Aragorn]

9. home health has increased, and is increasing

but this is just evidence of the "Republican health reform plan" - you know, part 3.

"Die quickly".

Only thing is, it is in fact bipartisan.

[iowa_democrat]

16. Ever notice....

that they never say, "OMG, if this keeps up we may have to lay off some managers?". No, keep dropping low level staff, to keep the bottom line looking good.

[Hestia]

17. True, more/better home health care is needed, but not all homes can support home health

and a lot of people can't do it 36 hours a day (which is required to take care of both yourself and the patient. It takes a saint to care for someone in the home.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Let's face it, War Comes First!

We can always afford more bombs and bullets...no problem! Throw granny out with the trash and buy some congressmen some golf trips and tanning bed appointments.

[Quantess]

7. Sedative prescriptions will increase, I predict.

Keep the seniors near comatose and bed ridden so they won't need as much staff attention.

[Puppyjive]

8. Cradle to Grave

This is why we need cradle to grave health care reform. The ill gotten gains that insurance companies keep could cover everything.

[patrice]

15. 1+~

[Odin2005]

10. Sick.

:cry:

[hay rick]

11. Every man for himself.

"The federal stimulus package approved in February includes $87 billion in Medicaid funding to help states. But Connecticut and several other states are using a loophole in the legislation to divert the money to budget items unrelated to health care, according to a congressional study."

This is how our society is reacting to difficult times...by first sacrificing the welfare of those who are unable to defend themselves.

[DLnyc]

18. So, basically, Connecticut is stealing the money from the elderly stuck

in nursing homes? I wonder how these assholes sleep at night.

[KamaAina]

22. Not everyone stuck in a nursing home is elderly

at least 20 percent of nursing home inmates residents are under 65 and have significant disabilities. Non-disabled people have even been known to move into the homes to be with their spouses. :( Thing is, Medicaid recipients are entitled to nursing home care if they need it -- but home- and community-based services are optional, and are first on the chopping block when things get tough. We call this "institutional bias." Fortunately, the Senate Finance version of the health care reform package includes the Community First Choice Option, which is designed to address this.

http://www.adapt.org

FREE OUR PEOPLE!!

[undergroundpanther]

12. A nursing home

in my rethug dominated county just closed it's doors.

I hate republican bullies You have to have the heart of a crocodile to be a republican piece of shit, as far as I am concerned.
I think the right wing needs to be amputated before it destroys the entire country.

[grilled onions]

13. Once Again We Have To Ask

Is this a sign of a civilized country? The unborn get more concern then infants. Those that need healthcare are at the mercy of those who already have GOOD healthcare and don't desire to spread the love around.The elderly are becoming the forgotten generation. They did so much for our future yet they are being pushed out of their homes and pushed into, often places considered little more then human kennels.
As it's been said before there always seems to be money for war,for space etc but care seems to be in supply be it Medicare,Senior Care,Healthcare,State Care etc.

[patrice]

14. Well said!

[sarah FAILIN]

19. It's not just the elderly

We've seen drastic cuts in funding for children placed out of their homes by Child Protective Services. This is the children that are already abused in some way being placed in human kennels as you say with little in the way of counseling to help them through the turmoil or get them into a real home. They exist, that's about it and they are our future.

[Old Hob]

20. Many many nursing homes are so short staffed as it is that things are being missed

things like urinary tract infections, seizures, pneumonia, strokes, heart attacks, CHF exacerbation, etc. Decreasing staffing will result in more of these things beingmissed until it has already turned into a two week hospital stay unless of course we just intend to ignore it completely which is pretty awful to think about. Nursing homes are chock full of the most at risk population in the country: the old, the sick, and the weak and the only thing that separates us from a pack of hungry jackals is that we don't survive by eating them. This is getting fucking ugly.

[man4allcats]

21. This is not good. Things have been generally bad in nursing homes for a long time.

This will only make them significantly worse. I've seen this situation first hand. I shudder to think what nursing home residents and dedicated family members (yes, there are some very dedicated family members) are in for now.