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

Compared to non-profit and government controlled peers, big-chain nursing homes simply provide inferior patient care. Period.

In one of the first studies directly comparing patient care provided by non-profits operations vs. nursing home conglomerates (the ten largest for-profit chains), an analysis conducted by University of California San Francisco (UCSF) clearly demonstrated that the facility have significantly more deficiencies that can be responsible for patients unmet medical needs and the development of serious complications such as: falls, infections, drastic weight loss and pressure sores.

According to one of the studies author’s Charlene Harrington, RD, PhD, there is no ambiguity in the studies findings:

Poor quality of care in an endemic in many nursing homes, but we found that the most serious problems occur in the largest for-profit chains.

Inadequate staffing levels appears to be the major reason why patients at big chain nursing homes suffer more harm. When comparing the number of nursing hours provided by registered nurses (RN’s) and nurses assistants (CNA’s), patients at larger nursing homes received approximately 30% less attention than patients receiving care in a non-profit or government controlled nursing home.

As the largest variable to control costs and boost profits, big chain operations trim staff to levels where patient needs are simply disregarded in favor of delivering profits to their shareholders. My hope is that officials take note of studies such as this and begin to implement mandatory staffing levels which would inevitably translate to improved patient care.

Incidentally, the UCSF study looked at the care provided by the nations ten largest for-profit nursing home chains. Collectively, the nursing home chains operate approximately 2,000 facilities and provide care for 13% of the nursing home population. At the time of this study, the ten largest nursing home chains included: 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 Healthcare Corporation and Skilled Healthcare LLC.

Related Nursing Home Law Center LLC Blog entries:

Under-Staffing At Nursing Homes: When There’s Simply Not Enough Staff To Protect Patients From Harm

Study Demonstrates Correlation Between Under-Staffing & Incidence Of Infections In Nursing Homes

New Program Focuses On Staffing To Improve Patient Care In Nursing Homes

Amandaestero says:

July 5, 2012 at 8:34 pm

I am a former employee of a large nursing home chain. I agree that patient care is not their mission as they say… It is all about the bottom line. We have 2 nurses for 60 residents on each wing, CNAs that do not speak English, and residents are allowed to sit in wet incontinence briefs all day. The therapy department staff pick and choose who they want to treat, and refuse to assist with seating devices if a patient is not on case load, despite risk for skin breakdown and overall wellbeing, yet they try to treat someone who is in the process of dying “to get minutes” to bill medicare. There is no accountability. The risk manager encouraged nurses to not log an incident report if a bruise is discovered and predicted to heal within the next day (because us nurses have crystal balls). I now work for a non-profit hospital and I now know the difference between patient focused care, and bottom line focused care.

ayasofia says:

August 8, 2012 at 7:03 am

Although, i agree with the previous comment.. the labor force is such that other ethnic groups either refuse to do cna type work and or do not like working with other groups.. all nursing homes pick the medicare b as a revenue source and exploit it, the chair bound miracously are picked for ambulatory excercise and once the medicare b period end ..the patient goes back to the chair and is ignored until the window opens up again..injuries are not reported to regulatory agencies as the state will swarm all over the home.. the staffing levels are mandated by the state, and one must do with what one has..bottom line..profits over humans