Thursday, January 17, 2019

Nursing Home Residents at Risk: Advocates Submit Briefing to Congress


The Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Long Term Care Community Coalition, the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, Justice in Aging, and California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform recently submitted a briefing to members of Congress addressing ongoing concerns regarding the health and safety of nursing home residents.

The Nursing Home Reform Law requires every nursing home to provide residents with the services they need to attain and maintain their “highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.” Unfortunately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been rolling back resident rights and protections, often at the request of the nursing home industry, for the purpose of reducing so-called provider “burdens.”

CMS’s efforts are even more dangerous because they exacerbate existing problems in nursing homes. Multiple reports from the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) document persistent and widespread problems facing nursing home residents. The Center for Medicare Advocacy and our partners continue to pursue the opportunity to work with members of Congress to address the needs of this exceptionally vulnerable population.

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