Profits before people
Too often, hospitals, insurance companies and health care centers put profits before patients. They provide care as long as the patient's insurance company will pay for it. Once those benefits run out, once their insurance refuses to continue paying for care or a patient is unable to pay on their own, the patient is discharged, regardless of whether or not they have anywhere else to go. Regardless of whether or not they are well enough to be on their own. Once they are no longer a profit, their care stops. This is the common practice in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
A recent report from the New York Times shows that nursing homes are resorting to false advertising to get more Medicare patients into their facilities. It is common knowledge among those who work for and run nursing homes that Medicare pays far more than any other type of insurance for patients in short term rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes. Because so many of these facilities rely heavily on Medicare dollars, those patients often get priority when being placed in a nursing home. However, that preferential treatments stops as soon as they are admitted and Medicare patients are often evicted as soon as those benefits run out.
Many of these facilities now advertise amenities such as "decadent hot baths" that can be drawn for their patients at any time of day. This tactic is referred to by experts as the "chandelier effect." These lofty promises bring in more patients, but the reality of care falls far short of the advertisements. Despite these lavish promises, many health care facilities are struggling through inadequate staff and skyrocketing costs, and their patients suffer as a result.
Our loved ones deserve better
Our loved ones are more than their Medicare benefits. They deserve more than false promises and substandard care. They should not be kicked out of nursing homes because their insurance benefits have run out. Moreover, putting profits before patients hurts our loved ones even more in the long run. If a patient it discharged before they are ready, the inadequate care they received can lead them right back to the emergency room with complications of their illness or further injuries. Complications that would have been prevented, had that been allowed to fully heal in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility.
Nursing home abuse cases are some of the most upsetting we receive. We place our trust in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities to treat our loved ones with the care and dignity they deserve. We trust that the staff in these facilities will use their expertise to help our loved ones heal. When these facilities do not adhere to a high standard of practice, when they neglect or abuse our loved ones, they must be held accountable for their actions.
If you are worried that your loved one has been abused in their nursing home or rehabilitation facility, don't wait. Contact us today. We will fight to get your loved ones the care they deserve.