I am a retired family physician who followed many patients in nursing homes. I saw firsthand how most are caring but often with very difficult patients and struggling to keep good employees for low pay. Injuries are frequent, and with the heavy regulation, nurses spend a lot of time writing reports.
Over the past years, with shorter hospital stays, nursing homes have come under increasing pressure with sicker patients and at the same time, decreasing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. Then when a nursing home is fined as happened with Delta rehab center, there is no option but to close.
That will probably happen with the Life Care Center, which has been fined $611,000 and will likely lose Medicare and Medicaid certification. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been there when no one knew what was going on. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Where are patients who need nursing home care going to go?
Many rural hospitals have closed because of insufficient reimbursement. We could use those hospitals now. And we are also paying the price for cuts and underfunding of our public health system.
Dr. Hans Dankers
Monroe
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