Caring for people takes a lot of resources. Since the government sets most of the rules that affect nursing homes, the cost of care is even higher as they try to meet all the regulations. Nearly 60% of the residents are dependent on the federal payment system called Medicaid, but Medicaid does not cover all the costs of providing the care. This all means that the nursing homes are spending more on the residents than the residents are paying to live there.
I believe the government should provide more adequate funding for these long-term healthcare facilities so they can continue to survive and continue to care for our frailest citizens.
If the government doesn’t start to help more, all of the nursing homes may go out of business. Just last week the Argus Leader had an article that said 400 nursing homes filed for chapter eleven bankruptcies in Texas. According to the American Health Care Association over 1200 nursing homes have filed for bankruptcy.
This number represents nearly 10% of America’s nursing homes and could leave almost 135,000 ill and needy residents without care should they be forced to close.
Nursing homes are a vital part of society today. With today’s fast paced society, the families don’t have time or the expertise to take care of their elderly loved ones. They need a place to live where they can receive the medical assistance they need. We can’t put them in a hospital for the rest of their life.
Nursing homes are also a great place for the residents because of the friendships they make.
They have a chance to do activities with people their age and they make friends instead of living by themselves and having no one. The whole environment of a nursing home makes their last years a pleasant experience.
We need to realize that a lot of these seniors are responsible for the great things that we have today. They are veterans of wars that won our freedom, victims of the dirty thirties, and have achieved many other strides in our country. They deserve our help in their time of need. Our government needs to put this generation of forefathers on their list of main priorities. The nursing homes can’t give the appropriate care and can’t pay the employees enough if they don’t get some help. This is a serious issue that could affect America if it isn’t addressed soon.
The Rising Cases of Nursing Home Bankruptcy in the United States. (2023, Mar 15). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-rising-cases-of-nursing-home-bankruptcy-in-the-united-states/