Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nursing Homes Booting Out Patients At Increasingly High Rates When Lucrative Medicare Coverage Ends
The New York Times: Complaints About Nursing Home Evictions Rise, And Regulators Take Note
Six weeks after Deborah Zwaschka-Blansfield had the lower half of her left leg amputated, she received some news from the nursing home where she was recovering: Her insurance would no longer pay, and it was time to move on. The home wanted to release her to a homeless shelter or pay for a week in a motel. “That is not safe for me,” said Ms. Zwaschka-Blansfield, 59, who cannot walk and had hoped to stay in the home, north of Sacramento, until she could do more things for herself — like getting up if she fell. (Bernard and Pear, 2/22)
The New York Times: How To Challenge A Nursing Home Eviction Notice, And Other Tips
Many nursing home residents are unaware of their rights. So when these individuals face the threat of eviction, legal advocates say, many of them do not even realize they have the right to challenge their discharge. Below is a list of several of those rights under federal law along with tips from lawyers and advocates who work on behalf of nursing home residents. (Bernard and Pear, 2/22)
And in Minnesota —
Pioneer Press: Worse Than ‘Doggy Daycare?’ Minnesota Families Share Shocking Stories Of Elder Abuse
Lawmakers on the Senate aging and long-term care committee got a startling and intimate look Wednesday at the abuse and maltreatment seniors and vulnerable adults have suffered at facilities that are supposed to be overseen by the state. One after another, for nearly two hours, family members told their horrific, graphic stories to a group of lawmakers who listened, stunned. (Magan, 2/21)
The Star Tribune: Victims Denounce A Failing State System For Responding To Reports Of Elder Abuse
Dozens of elderly abuse victims and their family members urged lawmakers on Wednesday to overhaul the state’s system for regulating senior care homes, saying current laws are poorly enforced and perpetrators are not adequately punished. Their calls for action came during an emotional, two-hour Senate committee hearing on the state’s handling of elder abuse complaints in senior homes. Leaders of the committee called the hearing to give victims and their relatives an opportunity to tell their stories of abuse. (Serres, 2/21)
