Nationwide, between 8,000 and 9,000 people complain to the government about nursing home evictions every year. It's the leading category of all nursing home complaints, according to the federal Administration for Community Living.
Is this type of eviction legal? What can be done if it happens to you?
In California, some nursing home residents brought lawsuits against the state, hoping to force it to take action. Details of some cases are disturbing.
One plaintiff in a California lawsuit is Bruce Anderson. He was placed in a hospital room at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento on May 28, 2015. That's when his former nursing home sent him to be treated for pneumonia. When he was cured, the nursing home refused to readmit him.
The hospital room has been his home for at least 260 days. The cost to Medicaid (the taxpayers) to keep him there is about 2.5 times what his nursing home cost was. If you think that ridiculous - you are not alone.
According to an NPR article, Bruce Anderson had a severe brain injury. It happened when he had a heart attack and went without oxygen for several minutes. He was just 55 years old, and had lived in nursing homes ever since - Untill his Eviction.
However what about other seniors in similar situations? Could a nursing home refuse to readmit that person after a necessary stay at a hospital? Why would the home refuse readmission? Could it be because Medicaid does not provide enough money to make the person a ‘profitable tenant’, and now they have a way out of the ‘unprofitable’ situation?
The NPR article addresses this serious problem in the “Nursing Home Industry”. Reading the NPR piece makes one think about the alternatives. Options like:
- Adult Foster Care Homes
- Board and Care Homes
- Adult Family Homes
- Small Group Senior Homes
What are these types of Senior Homes? Have you heard of them? What advantages do they have over traditional Nursing Homes?
Around the country, access to these types of homes has been getting better. Websites like Senior Home Search help visitors find senior care homes that provide small intimate settings with consistent caregivers that foster a family like atmosphere. Links connecting you directly with the owners, no annoying care coordinators hounding you for your business and no large commission charged to the home owner. It’s a win, win for everyone.
Until problems like unwarranted, illeagel nursing home evictions are a thing of the past, websites like Senior Home Search are
Source(s):
AARP Foundation Sues Nursing Home To Stop Illegal Evictions
