Item: Nursing Home Law Center LLC
Rating: 5
Author: Lisa

The entire purpose of any for-profit corporation is to make money and to continuously implement new strategies that will increase profit and reduce expenses. How far is too far though when a company puts its own needs above those of the people it serves? The ten largest for-profit nursing care companies were put to the test last year in a study that compared their care to that of government agencies and not-for-profit homes. Researchers were alarmed at just how stark the contrast was between nursing facilities that existed to make a profit and those that didn’t— and the results did not favor the for-profit homes.

Ten Nursing Home Companies that Only Care About Profit

After evaluating multiple government sponsored nursing homes and not-for-profit care facilities and comparing the results to the following companies, it was determined that the level of care shown by these companies failed to equal the care that patients received in homes that were not out for financial gain. Each of these companies failed to live up to their not-for-profit counterparts’ levels of care.

HCR Manor Care
Golden Living
Life Care Centers of America
Kindred Healthcare
Genesis HealthCare Corporation
Sun Health Care Group Inc.
Sava Senior Care LLC
Extendicare Health Services Inc.
National Health Care Corp.
Skilled HealthCare LLC

Deficiency and Citations Abound at These Facilities

All of the companies listed were found to have higher rates of deficiency than not-for-profit and government facilities. In fact, the for-profit companies’ were 36% higher than their counterparts and the deficiencies were over 40% more severe. After the homes were purchases by private companies, the study shows that staffing levels often remained the same and the number of citations that the facilities were receiving rose significantly. The end result has been sicker patients and higher profits for the companies that care for them.

Understaffing: the Easiest Way to Cut Costs & Boost Bottom Line

One of the key ways to increase margins is to limit costs and most companies today will try to keep their staffs as trim as possible. This is no different for the ten largest nursing care facilities, which have refused to hire the amount of staff necessary to care for their patients in an effort to reduce the bottom line. 30% less nursing hours were reported in these facilities when compared to government and not-for-profit facilities. Understaffing is one of the greatest contributing factors to a lower standard of care and these companies have cut corners and sacrificed the health of their patients in order to avoid paying for a proper staff.

Can the Traditional Business Model be applied to Nursing Home Care?

Most businesses either produce a product or provide a service to their customers. The majority of the time, that product is consumable, replaceable or renewable through maintenance. Services that are rendered are normally not the kind that would impact the health and well-being of the consumer. However, nursing care has an impact on the quality of life and dignity of the patients being served.

Anyone who has been in business will attest to the fact that the purpose of a business is to minimize its costs and maximize its profit for the best return on investment. This model has applied to every business that has been founded in America. Applying these principles to nursing home care is only harming millions of elderly patients in our country, however, and we need to approach the business of health care for the elderly differently.

We trust our loved ones to these facilities and should expect that they will be treated with respect and shown courtesy. They have worked their entire lives to provide for us and it is our duty to allow them to live their last years in comfort and dignity. Nursing facilities must not be allowed to treat our loved ones’ care as if it were a part of a traditional business model and the best way to be heard by these companies is to speak in their language and take our money elsewhere while holding them accountable for any unjust treatment they have given to those we love.

Attorneys Ready to Take On Big Nursing Home Chains

Nursing Home Law Center LLC has experience litigating and settling nursing home negligence cases against some of the nation’s largest chains. If you think your loved one was improperly treated at these facilities, we are interested in speaking with you about your situation. We offer free consultations and never charge a fee without a recovery for you.

Source:

http://long-term-care.advanceweb.com/Columns/Gerotalk/Study-Finds-Largest-For-Profit-Nursing-Home-Chains-Providing-Lesser-Care.aspx