Category: Out-of-State Nursing Homes

As part of the Affordable Care Act, the nation’s Center for Medicare & Medicaid Studies recently announced the creation of 35 new community-based care transitions programs in 23 states. Nursing homes in Colorado, Florida, New York, and Mississippi will reportedly partner with medical providers in five of the 23 new locations. Currently, 82 transitions programs are purportedly working towards both lowering Medicare costs and reducing hospital readmission rates for Medicare insurance recipients.

Approximately one-fifth of all Medicare beneficiaries will reportedly be readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of discharge. This allegedly costs the Medicare program in excess of $26 billion every year. The purported goal of the transitions program is to identify and address the various factors that may cause rehospitalization for the nation’s elderly. In addition, coordination between health care providers and skilled nursing facilities is reportedly encouraged through the program.

According to Greg Crist, Vice President of Public Affairs at the American Health Care Association, the partnership demonstrates the important role skilled nursing facilities can have in providing quality patient care. He said the nursing home trade group has made reducing elderly rehospitalizations a priority throughout the nation. Crist added that helping American seniors successfully transition out of a hospital setting benefits everyone and also lowers overall costs.

Nursing homes in Illinois and elsewhere that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funds are considered certified facilities. Certified skilled nursing facilities that operate in Illinois must provide quality resident care in compliance with both federal and state law. Despite that most nursing homes located in our state are certified facilities, being certified to accept federal funds is not required by Illinois law. The Illinois Department of Public Health regulates the quality of care provided in all Illinois skilled nursing facilities regardless of the facility’s certified status.

The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act was established to increase the quality of care received by nursing home residents in our state. Pursuant to the law, all nursing homes that operate in Illinois must provide at least 2.5 hours of direct care per day to each resident. In addition, all long-term care facilities operating within the state must provide 3.8 hours of daily direct care staffing for every resident by January 1, 2014. Unfortunately, many nursing homes allegedly fail to comply with the law’s requirements and understaffing often leads to elder neglect or abuse. If your loved one suffered abuse or neglect while residing in an Illinois skilled nursing facility, you are advised to speak with a competent attorney to discuss your concerns.
Continue reading “Additional Community Partnership Programs Designed to Improve Elder Care in Illinois and Nationwide Announced”

A report recently published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that there is no evidence to support the often accepted idea that home or community-based long-term care is less expensive than or provides superior care over institutions such as skilled nursing facilities. Instead, study authors argue that community-based elder care solutions reportedly benefit consumers who prefer to avoid entering a long-term care facility. The AHRQ report defines long-term care as daily living, housing, and medical care over an extended time frame.

According to the AHRQ, the question of how to provide the best, most economical long-term care solutions for the nation’s aging population has become increasingly important as states continue to experience revenue shortfalls. Currently, about 1.4 million U.S. residents reportedly reside in a skilled nursing facility. Approximately 40 percent of all long-term care provided throughout the country is paid for by federal Medicaid insurance. In addition, an estimated 64 percent of the money spent on long-term care for Medicaid beneficiaries is paid to nursing homes. At this time, at least 11 million Americans require some type of long-term care to assist them in their daily lives and about 55 percent of those individuals are reportedly age 65 or over. In addition, the AHRQ estimates that at least two-thirds of individuals who are over age 65 will require long-term care assistance for at least two years before the end of their lifetime.

The costs associated with receiving institutional care allegedly often exceed those for community-based elder care solutions. Because of this, many states have prioritized community-based solutions. Between 1995 and 2009, Medicaid spending on community-based long-term care solutions reportedly doubled. The AHRQ report argues, however, that there is no evidence that community-based solutions provide superior care. Still, skilled nursing facility residents allegedly exhibit more physical and cognitive impairment than individuals who utilize assisted living or community-based solutions. Because of this, the study authors reportedly believe more research should be performed to determine the exact cause of the disparity.

Families in Illinois often turn to skilled nursing facilities when they are no longer able to care for their elderly or disabled loved ones. Although nursing homes can be the best option for some patients, many need therapies that nursing homes are unable or unwilling to provide. Unfortunately, abuse and neglect can result when patients enter nursing facilities that are not equipped to properly care for them.

The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act was established to protect the rights of senior citizens and other individuals who live in long-term care facilities throughout the state. Those rights include the right to be free from abuse or neglect, the right to privacy, and the right to various levels of self-determination. If you believe the rights of your elderly or disabled friend or family member were violated by a long-term care facility, you should discuss your concerns with a skilled nursing home abuse and neglect attorney.
Continue reading “Report Claims It’s Tough to Determine Whether Community-Based Long-Term Care is Superior to Entering a Nursing Home in Illinois and Throughout the Nation”

Medical care facility transitions for nursing home residents can often lead to a number of health complications. In fact, up to 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who enter a hospital are readmitted within 30 days. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association claims nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that collaborate with a patient’s other healthcare providers may have the ability to reduce repeat hospitalization rates. In a report entitled “Association Between Quality Improvement for Care Transitions in Communities and Rehospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries,” researchers led by the non-profit corporation Colorado Foundation for Medical Care found that partnering between medical providers reduced rehospitalization rates by an average of almost six percent in the first 30 days following discharge. That number was reportedly almost three times the rate found when long-term care facilities attempted to reduce rehospitalization rates but failed to coordinate with community health care providers.

As part of the study, researchers analyzed data collected by 14 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) over a three-year-period. The QIOs purportedly focused on quality improvement efforts such as community organizing, coordinating evidence-based hospital discharges, providing technical assistance with regard to the implementation of best care practices, and monitoring. In 10 of the 14 communities that participated in the study, skilled nursing facilities also implemented the Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers model for sharing relevant medical information. In addition to reducing rehospitalization rates, researchers found that collaboration saved each QIO community about $3 million in Medicare funds.

According to Dr. Jane Brock, lead study author and Chief Medical Officer at the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care, the research project successfully engaged entire communities in improving nursing home resident care. This was reportedly the first time researchers focused on successful health care intervention and monitoring. Dr. Brock stated the research demonstrates that community partnerships have the ability to improve medical care for nursing home residents.

Most nursing home and other long-term care facilities located in Illinois are under contract to receive Medicare and Medicaid funds. As a result, caregivers and administrators who are employed at such skilled nursing facilities must adhere to both state and federal laws. Although most nursing homes in Illinois provide satisfactory patient care, some cut costs and fail to employ a sufficient number of qualified staff. This research study suggests that providing quality resident care may actually reduce a facility’s expenses. If you believe a friend or loved one was abused or neglected while in the care of an Illinois long-term care facility, you should speak with a skilled attorney.
Continue reading “Study Suggests Nursing Homes that Successfully Coordinate With Other Medical Providers Reduce Hospitalization Rates”

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine reportedly found that nursing home residents were much more likely to be hospitalized or die during a norovirus outbreak. The study, published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared patient hospitalization and death rates during confirmed outbreak periods versus non-outbreak periods between January 2009 and December 2010 at 308 certified skilled nursing homes in three states. The data used was reportedly collected from the National Outbreak Reporting System maintained by the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, nursing home resident deaths were verified through the federal Medicare Minimum Data Set.

According to the study, at least 1,000 gastroenteritis outbreaks are identified in nursing homes every year in the United States. In addition, norovirus is reportedly the suspected cause in 86 percent of confirmed outbreaks. Of the 407 norovirus outbreaks analyzed by researchers, a long-term care resident was hospitalized in 29 percent of cases and died during seven percent of the outbreaks. In addition, more than 2,500 hospitalizations and almost 1,100 nursing home resident deaths allegedly occurred during a confirmed norovirus outbreak during the time period examined by researchers.

The norovirus outbreaks analyzed by researchers lasted an average of 13 days. Although hospitalizations reportedly increased during the first two weeks of an outbreak, resident deaths spiked during the initial week. After two weeks, the study authors found that hospitalization and death rates returned to previous levels. Interestingly, the study reports that skilled nursing facilities with a higher proportion of daily registered nurse hours per resident did not exhibit an increase in resident deaths during a norovirus outbreak. Unfortunately, the ratio of daily registered nurse hours did not appear to have an effect on resident hospitalization rates during such an outbreak. Study authors concluded that infection control strategies and other measures designed to prevent the spread of illness should be implemented at all long-term care facilities in an effort to protect the health and well-being of the approximately 3.3 million nursing home residents nationwide.

Because residents normally live in close proximity to one another, communicable diseases often spread easily in nursing homes. Long-term care facility employees are required to take precautionary measures to control the spread of disease in Illinois nursing homes. Proper sanitation is vital to the health of nursing home residents in Illinois and elsewhere. Unfortunately, many nursing home workers fail to use simple sanitation techniques such as washing their hands between each patient. This simple omission constitutes negligence on the part of skilled nursing facility staff. In addition, all nursing home facilities in Illinois are required to designate an infection prevention and control professional to develop and implement policies aimed at reducing and controlling both infections and communicable diseases. If your friend or family member died from a preventable disease he or she contracted as a result of nursing home caregiver negligence, you should speak with a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney as soon as possible.
Continue reading “Study Finds Norovirus Outbreaks Place Nursing Home Residents at Increased Risk in Illinois and Nationwide”