Proposed cuts to the state’s Medicaid system, as per Governor Rauner’s recent announcement, will significantly impact already at-risk nursing home residents.
The governor’s proposed budget includes $230 million in cuts to nursing homes in addition to the previous $50 million cut in nursing home Medicaid funding. This will lead to a variety of adjustments made by the various nursing homes across the state. The most obvious ramifications of the budget cut will likely be reductions in nursing home staff, closure of nursing homes, decrease in staff training, and fewer services available for residents. The budget cuts to Medicaid will especially impact those residents who rely on Medicaid to pay for their nursing home stay.
Nursing Home Care Will Suffer
The end result of the budget cuts will inevitably lead to a decrease in quality care for residents. “Persistent staffing shortages can mean double shifts for all medical personnel, and facilities increasingly rely on outside agency nurses who are not familiar with individual residents of nursing homes where they’re assigned,” according to a report from PostStar. Less staff means less face time or one-on-one time with residents. Decreases in funding also leads to cuts in staff training, which leaves nursing home employees poorly trained on the various illnesses and conditions plaguing nursing home residents. Studies have found that the likelihood of abuse is high in facilities with a low staff ratio and poorly trained staff members are less likely to be able to give quality care to residents. Training is needed so employees have the proper communication and anger management skills in high-stress situations to deal with difficult patients.
Decreased funding can also lead to more incidents with other nursing home residents, because there is less staff to supervise the residents. Studies have found that nearly one in five nursing home residents have experienced inappropriate, disruptive, or aggressive encounters. This includes resident-to-resident mistreatment, sexual harassment, and invasion of privacy. In a four-week period, the study found 19.8 percent of residents suffered resident-to-resident abuse. Verbal abuse, physical attacks, sexual incidents, and unwelcome entry into rooms were the most common manifestations of this problem. The presence of more staff and better-trained staff is one way to limit resident-on-resident abuse. Unfortunately, with the budget cuts, these abuse statistics will undoubtedly increase.
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The Problem of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse and elder care is an increasingly common problem, especially as the number of individuals relying on such facilities is increasing. As of 2010, there were almost 17,000 nursing homes and over 52,000 board and care homes in the United States. These numbers will decrease as cuts persist. At the same time, the abuse numbers are increasing. The latest reports found that nearly 44 percent of nursing home residents experienced abuse and 95 percent said they had been neglected or witnessed neglect. While nursing home facilities are decreasing, the number of people over the age of 65 is growing rapidly. As of 2010, they comprised over 13 percent of the population, and it s believed by the 2050 they will make up over 20 percent. This means the number of residents exposed to abuse or neglect will inevitably increase.
Protect Your Loved Ones
If you or someone you loved has been hurt while staying in a nursing home or long-term care facility, please contact an experienced nursing home neglect attorney. You may be entitled under federal or Illinois state law to recover for the pain and suffering, personal injury, wrongful death, medical costs, negligence, and financial burdens the abuse or the nursing home facility has put on you and your family. Mary Ann Covone Attorney at Law has worked successfully at finding justice for victims of nursing home neglect. Please call (708) 246-4911 for a free initial consultation.