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Disability Activists: "Stop Paying Nursing Homes for Injuring Patients."

Posted: 10/20/2008 at 05:31 PM

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An elderly woman wearing a pink gown lies in a nursing home bed with her eyes closed. She is very thin.Medicare announced on October 1, 2008, that it would no longer pay hospitals for "reasonably preventable" conditions including severe bedsores and infections caused by catheters. Disability activist Steve Gold approves of this change, but wonders why nursing homes causing the same conditions still receive Medicaid dollars.

 

In 2007, 91% of nursing homes surveyed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were cited for at least one deficiency. 17% of nursing homes received citations for deficiencies causing "actual harm or immediate jeopardy." 19.1% of nursing facilities received deficiencies for having residents with avoidable pressure sores. Other common deficencies included failing to prevent incontinence, using physical restraints on patients for non-medical reasons, and failing to provide residents an environment "free of accident hazards." Overall, deficiencies rose by 10% from 81% in 1998.

 

Steve Gold writes that, when preventable injuries occur,  "Hospitals lose Medicare funds, (but) nursing facilities barely and rarely get their fingers slapped and continue to receive Medicaid funds." According to Gold, rising numbers of deficiencies indicate that citations don't motivate nursing facilities to improve.

 

What do you think? Should Medicaid stop paying nursing facilities when the same "reasonably preventable" conditions occur for which Medicare will no longer pay hospitals, or should the current system of citations for deficiencies stand?

 

Photo of nursing facility patient Dorice taken by LindaButterfly, used under Creative Commons license.

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  • Websites tagged "homes" on Postsaver wrote on Oct 23, 2008 at 8:26 PM
    Pingback from Websites tagged "homes" on Postsaver
  • Chris Swafford wrote on Nov 4, 2008 at 12:29 PM
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    As a health care professional that works in nursing homes and hospitals I simply put the blame on the lack of staffing. If the ratio keeps going up as to the # of patients per care giver and cut backs occur to the number of staff per patient, some one tell me how this add's up to quality care. You also common sense wise, have to look at the simple fact not all facilities provide you with the needed supplies and tools to deliver quality care. I am big on quality care, but it's not the staff at fault, it's simply the lack of staff in numbers. I wonder when this will really ever get figured out that lack of staff adds up to problems? I feel instead of expecting to much from staff, facilities should be accountable for understaffing because of wanting to save a buck for thier pockets. Well the truth is the truth so it must be said. Bed sores are preventable, I agree, how ever adiquite staff to handle the heavy loads is essential to quality care factors and also having the appropriate tool and supplies. Well when you work in the field you understand better than those who often try to fiqure out the process and do not know the reality of it. I do feel this is some of the problem. So in simple terms higher pay rates are important for nursing and medical staff, but also the factors I described play an important role in delivering quality care and preventitive measures. I do feel many will agree to this and it is only goo common sense!
  • sara reyes wrote on Nov 14, 2008 at 1:58 AM
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    OMG, finally a site where my line of work is discussed. I been trying to express my feelings about this problem for the longest and never knew where to go or who to talk to. No one would agree and too many of us would not speak up or even know where to speak up to. Yes there is a problem with too many facilities understaffed and patients suffering bed sores and neglet and too many patients to one nurse. Then they have the nerves to say that we certified nurses assistant are being careless with our residents and we are not doing our job right. Too many CNA's are frustrated and don't know what to do. We try our best to guve the residents some quality of life and care but we are just one person doing so much. The administration in these facilities talk so much blah about love ones being save and cared for and when things start to happen like bed sores and deaths they easily blame us saying we are being negligent and then they fire us as well. What good will this do if the problem lies in these facilities being understaffed because they trying to save "a buck or two"? After all, these residents are paying money to be cared for who are we to eliminate their rights and care? I wish some one would do something about this.
  • Disabled Politico wrote on Nov 14, 2008 at 6:23 PM
    Jamie, who is blind, non-verbal, severely developmentally disabled, and dependent on caregivers to fulfill
  • Disabled Politico wrote on Mar 23, 2009 at 5:50 PM
    Tomorrow, March 24th 2009, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) will reintroduce