Nursing Homes do not meet federal staffing guidelines
According to researchers from Harvard and Vanderbilt’s medical schools, 3 out of every 4 nursing homes in the country do not meet federal staffing guidelines.
What’s more, 7 out of 10 facilities report higher staff numbers than their payroll records reflect. It’s even worse over the weekends.
Is it any wonder grandpa and grandma get treated so poorly?
Florida nursing homes have cut their insurance coverage
From what I’ve seen in my 30 years of representing families whose loved ones get mistreated, abused, and even sometimes killed, by nursing homes, my take on it is this:
A few years ago, Florida law changed to no longer require high limits of insurance for nursing home negligence. As a result, many Florida nursing homes cut their insurance coverage for incidents to sometimes $50,000, sometimes $100,000. Even nursing homes owned by national chains are separate entities, with no collectable assets.
Take the time to visit your loved ones
Nursing homeowners know they’re protected, and thus to increase profits, they cut down on supplies, services, and staff. They’re protected.
And who gets the bad end of the deal? Florida’s most vulnerable—elderly people who need skilled care. Many times, they’re not getting it.
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, visit them often and at unpredictable times. One director of nursing at a nursing home told me:
“We don’t have time to clean everybody, so we start with the residents whose families come in to see them.”
When choosing a nursing home, visit it and give it the “sniff test.” You know what I mean. Also, ask if they have sufficient insurance coverage for negligent care. IMPORTANT: Do not—do not—sign an agreement to arbitrate any complaints. This takes away your rights to a trial by jury.
