This is a question I get asked almost daily and it is a very good question. Every visitor, every family member, and even some of the staff will ask this same question. It really is that bad! It makes many citizens lose faith in their great state.
I have witnessed more than one person say" they don't care" ( meaning the state officials of course). It is so easy to see how the general population can make this assumption so easily.
When you enter a facility and it smells bad, the residents are all slumped over in wheelchairs gathered around the nursing station, only one or two Nurses are actually visible in a hall and perhaps one or two aids can be seen darting in and out of rooms, you get that funny feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you think, this was a big mistake. What were you thinking? Why did you or your parents, even put Mom or Grandma in here? This place is a Hell hole!
But, soon enough you will find out the very good places at the top of the list, that actually give great care, are way over your family's income limit. Some may take private insurance or private pay only. Grandma did not have much they had to sell everything and do a spend down just so she could get Medicaid. The health insurance they had from Grandpa's job ended when he passed away a few years ago. Now Grandma has Medicaid and this is the only kind of place it will pay for.
No, Grandma is not getting the best care. yes, her belongings are coming up missing. No, she does not seem to be as responsive as she was at home. Yes, that sore on her heel seems to be getting worse. But, when you came for a tour, it certainly seemed so nice and there was plenty of staff that day. What changed?
Welcome to the real world of elder care facilities.
What do you do? Well, some individuals call the state and report what seem to be deficiencies, or what they deem as deficiencies. The state will do another survey. They will find the same deficiencies as they did before and will note them and fine the facility as well as give them time to correct those said deficiencies. This makes you unhappy and thus the attitude the state just does not care.
They care, they care more than you realize. The surveyor's hands are tied. If they close a facility they have to move every single resident somewhere where they will be cared for and there are no beds available, let alone Medicaid beds. what are they to do? Put all the residents in the parking lot? Of course not! Now, do you see their dilemma?
As for the deficiencies, I am sure you felt there should be more. Let me explain nursing facilities. ..... First of all most skilled care does not provide curative care, only palliative care. Especially if they have a terminal illness such as renal failure, heart disease, etc. If you look at the front of your family member's chart you will usually see DNR. These means Do Not Resuscitate. Oh, and by the way, you do have a right to see your family members' chart as next of kin. So ask once in a while and actually look at it! You will see many things that may disturb you.
In the case of Medicaid, these facilities are not places where the Elderly go to live out a pleasant life in their old age. they are in fact warehouses for the dying! I am sorry I am so blunt but I will never ever sugarcoat anything. I tell it exactly like it is! Thus, the myth of Medicaid paying for elderly care comes to a bright light for all to see.
They take everything the Elder has left, Make the Elder spend down all of it, and when they are penniless and have nothing left they give them what they call a Medicaid waiver to pay for their care which believes me is minimal!
Medicare even pays for end-of-life therapy. Which is a therapy that does nothing for you but it does make thousands for the facility! Now if that is not a scam I don't know what is.
The other part of that is if you do happen to have monies left, they will call the next of kin and ask what Hospice they prefer their loved one to go to. If you are smart you will find one you can check out and be certain they will be cared for best while dying. Because a good hospice will take them only when the body has started to shut down not before.
These are all things no one tells you about Elder care or I like to refer to it as the "lack" of Eldercare!.
We are currently working on our together out sister site with all the gory details and the possible solutions,