Illinois Nursing Homes’ Financial Woes May Threaten the Well Being of Thousands of Elderly Residents, Say Nursing Home Officials
In a letter published in the Chicago Tribune, Terrence Sullivan, the Illinois Council of Long Term Care executive director, Pat Comstock, the Health Care Council of Illinois, and Dave Voepel, the Illinois Health Care Association Executive executive director, are warning readers that the financial crisis Illinois nursing homes are facing could place the well being of thousands of elderly nursing home residents at risk. A major reason for this problem, they say, is that nursing homes are being financially stretched as they wait for the state to pay them what they are owed.
Over 2/3rds of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid payments to pay for their care bills. Not only are the majority of nursing home just now getting the Medicaid payments for services they provided residents six months ago, but they may receive just one or two monthly payments in the next six months.
While nursing homes are used to waiting for their Medicaid payments, the current economic crisis is making it hard for them to get the short-term loans they usually rely on while they wait. Nursing homes are having a hard time paying their bills and paying their employees. A number of Illinois nursing home facilities are worried they will have to shut down their facilities, which could displace many elderly and sick residents and deny them the care that they need.
Illinois Nursing Home Facts:
• There are about 1,200 long-term care facilities in the state.
• Some 100,000 people reside in these nursing homes.
• The Illinois Department of Public Health regulates and inspects these facilities annually.
• The Department’s Bureau of Long-term Care is in charge of making sure each Illinois nursing home is in compliance with the state’s Nursing Home Care Act.
Nursing home abuse and nursing neglect continue to be a problem in a number of Illinois nursing homes.
Nursing homes facing economic crisis, Chicago Tribune, January 20, 2009
After he's gone, Chicago Tribune, January 9, 2009
Related Web Resources:
If your loved one was abused at an Illinois nursing home or was the victim of nursing home neglect, contact Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer Steve Malman today.
