Ninety-six-years-old and suffering from dementia, was moved into a corporate-run nursing home in California. After only 21 days, he had already suffered severe dehydration and lost 5 pounds – the result of a nursing staff that had completely neglected to follow his well-established and doctor-ordered nutrition plans.
While the staff was too overworked to feed Mr. Furumura, they were under strict orders from the nursing home’s owner to give the 96-year-old excessive amounts of physical therapy. Surely food or water would have been more helpful, but the horrific truth of corporate-run nursing homes is that they make unimaginable sums of money from taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The more “therapy” that homes administer, the better for the business’s bottom line. And best of all (for them): The state picks up the tab.
Such financial incentives lead many for-profit nursing home operators to give patients treatments they don’t need. In the case of Jack Furumura, not only was such rigorous therapy totally unnecessary, it was reckless and flat-out outrageous. After 3 weeks, he had to be discharged directly to a hospital. He died only a few weeks later.
Meanwhile, the nursing home received $600 from the state for each day they administered their therapy. All told, the Federal Insurance Program for the Elderly and Disabled paid $13,468.19 for Mr. Furumura’s “care” –– and he is only but one of hundreds of patients likely on similar regimens. Mr. Furumura’s case is, sadly, not unique — private homes rake in money for overworking and ultimately killing people they’re charged to protect. Nationally, private nursing homes overbill Medicare by at least $1.5 Billion every single year.
How is it possible that such heartless business tactics are being used in an industry that already profits billions? Why pick on an elderly population for a few extra dollars in a market that has no shortage of cash flow — and worse, in a market that capitalizes on vulnerability and death? (Continue Reading)
How is it possible that such heartless business tactics are being used in an industry that already profits billions? Why pick on an elderly population for a few extra dollars in a market that has no shortage of cash flow — and worse, in a market that capitalizes on vulnerability and death? (Continue Reading)
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