Study: Care Is Worse in For-Profit Nursing Homes Compared to Non-Profit Facilities

 Posted on November 15, 2018 in Nursing Home Abuse

When you are looking at long-term care options for an aging loved one, it is important to review the reputation of each of the facilities that you are considering. You should try to learn how the families of current and past residents feel about the facility, as well as any available ratings published by reputable sources. According to a recent study, you should also consider whether the facility is a for-profit business or a nonprofit entity because residents of for-profit facilities tend to receive a much lower quality of care.

Illinois-Based Research

The study was conducted by a team led by Lee Friedman, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The team looked at data regarding nearly 1,150 patients who received treatment at five Chicago-area hospitals between 2007 and 2011 for health concerns that might have been linked to previous substandard care. All of the patients were either residents of for-profit or nonprofit nursing homes or community-dwelling patients who lived in private homes with the assistance of family, friends, or home-based nurses.

Sad Results

According to the study’s findings, residents of for-profit nursing facilities were twice as likely to experience medical problems related to poor care than those in nonprofit centers. Community-dwelling patients experienced the fewest problems. Friedman said that his team linked a larger number of diagnoses and more serious conditions patients in for-profit homes “that were consistent with severe clinical signs of neglect.” These conditions included:

• Severe dehydration;
• Stage 3 and stage 4 bed sores;
• Broken feeding tubes and catheters; and
• Mismanaged medication.

The team also observed that caregivers were paid more, on average, in nonprofit nursing homes than they were in for-profit facilities. For-profit homes “paid their high-level administrators more” but not their front-line employees, according to Friedman. He hypothesized that lower pay for staff members translates into low morale. When nursing home staff members are not happy at work, Friedman said, “it’s the residents who suffer.”

Protecting Your Loved One

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to prevent nursing home abuse or neglect is visit your loved one regularly. If possible, visit at various times of day and on different days of the week. Frequent visits can be helpful in a couple of ways. First, it shows the nursing home staff that someone is paying attention to the resident and is keeping his or her best interests in mind. Neglectful or abusive behavior is less likely when a resident’s family is present and involved.

Visiting your loved one in a nursing home regularly will also allow you to notice a relatively small issue before it becomes a serious problem. For example, if your loved one is behaving strangely after taking a certain medication, you would probably notice the strange behavior before the staff would. You could then bring the issue to the attention of a nurse or doctor on staff so that it can be addressed quickly. If it was up to the staff to notice, several more days or weeks could go by before any changes are made.

Call an Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

If you suspect that your loved one has been abused or neglected while in a nursing home, contact an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer. We will investigate the situation and help you take the action necessary in protecting your loved one’s rights. Call 312-535-4265 for a free consultation today.

Sources:

https://consumer.healthday.com/caregiving-information-6/nursing-homes-and-elder-care-health-news-501/poorer-care-at-for-profit-nursing-homes-study-claims-738757.html

https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/492029