Understanding Your Rights in New Jersey Nursing Homes

When choosing the right care for an aging family member, the decision can be emotional and overwhelming. One aspect of this process is understanding the rights in New Jersey nursing homes that you and your loved one have as a resident. These rights are enshrined in law to ensure that residents receive the quality of care, respect, privacy, and dignity they deserve. This guide to the rights in New Jersey nursing homes will navigate you through various aspects, empowering you to make well-informed decisions for yourself or a loved one. Quality of Care The foremost priority in any nursing home [...]

2024-11-07T10:07:41-05:00November 14, 2024|

Understanding Your Rights in Pennsylvania Nursing Homes

The search for appropriate long-term care for yourself or a loved one can be fraught with concerns and questions. Among the most important aspects to understand are the rights in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Knowing these rights ensures that residents receive the quality of care, dignity, privacy, and respect they deserve. This piece aims to guide you through understanding the rights in Pennsylvania nursing homes, helping you make informed decisions that prioritize the well-being and security of those you care about. Quality of Care Residents of nursing homes in Pennsylvania have the right to receive appropriate and consistent medical care, nourishment, [...]

2024-10-23T17:18:01-04:00October 24, 2024|

How to Find Current Staffing Information On Nursing Homes

For decades, academic research has shown that staffing levels reliably predict the quality of care in nursing homes and that shortages increase the risk of delayed response to daily needs, like toileting and eating, as well as medical emergencies, such as falls and strokes. A pivotal federal study from 20 years ago, when most nursing home residents were younger and healthier than today, suggested a minimum of 4.1 hours per resident daily – more than the new rule. On April 22, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule on Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term [...]

2024-06-13T08:42:56-04:00June 13, 2024|

New Nursing Home Staffing Mandate Is Under Threat

On April 22, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long-awaited regulations on minimum staffing in nursing homes. This was a culmination of a two-year process, including a request for information, a study, and a comment period. Although the final rule is well below the 4.2 hours of direct care per resident per day, as numerous studies have shown is required, the staffing standards are a good first step. There is good news: Nursing homes are required to have a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is a significant improvement providing clinical [...]

2024-05-29T13:29:38-04:00June 3, 2024|

Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Standards Finalized

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule, implementing minimum staffing standards for nursing homes intended to increase staffing levels and improve patient care in nursing homes. The Biden Administration’s announcement is controversial. CMS has faced fierce opposition from the nursing home industry and Republicans in Congress who see these requirements as an unfunded mandate. It establishes, for the first time, national minimum staffing standards for nursing homes that collect taxpayer money through Medicare- and Medicaid-funded services. The staffing requirements will be phased in over the next two to five years, and CMS has made provisions to grant exemptions [...]

2024-06-24T08:49:55-04:00May 1, 2024|

Alternatives to Nursing Homes

For many families, placing a loved one into a nursing home facility can be a daunting and emotional decision. Fortunately, the spectrum of care has expanded, offering several alternatives to nursing homes that better suit older adults' and their families' needs and preferences. From adult daycare to innovative AgeTech solutions, the landscape of elder care has evolved to provide personalized, quality care. Adult Daycare Adult daycare is an excellent option for families who need support but wish to keep their loved ones at home. These centers provide socialization, activities, meals, and sometimes health services during the day, allowing caregivers to [...]

2024-04-10T14:12:05-04:00April 11, 2024|

Tax Deductions for Assisted Living Costs

Since it is tax season, many caregivers of our clients who are residents of an assisted living facility inquire about tax deductions for assisted living costs. The IRS provides rules for deducting certain qualified long-term care costs as medical expenses. Normally, the costs of nursing home care should be deductible, but the status of Assisted Living Facility (ALF) costs has not been as clear. For ALF residents, qualified long-term care costs are “necessary rehabilitative services, maintenance or personal care services that are (1) required by a chronically ill individual, and (2) provided pursuant to a plan of care by a [...]

2024-02-28T13:22:42-05:00February 29, 2024|

Involuntary Nursing Home Discharge: “We Have No Long-Term Care Beds”

I recently met with a family regarding their ailing father and a potential involuntary nursing home discharge. Their father fell in his home and was subsequently hospitalized. He then transitioned from the hospital to a local nursing home for rehabilitation covered by Medicare. The amount Medicare pays a nursing home for a resident undergoing short-term rehabilitation is significantly higher than what the nursing home would receive via Medicaid. However, Medicare will only pay for a maximum of 100 days if the resident needs skilled care. The 100 days is by no means guaranteed. With this client, the nursing home discharge [...]

2024-03-08T11:18:32-05:00January 25, 2024|

Home For The Holidays: Leaving The Nursing Home During A Medicare-Covered Stay

A week prior to Thanksgiving, I met with a client whose husband was in a local nursing home for a rehabilitation stay following a fall that resulted in hospitalization. The wife communicated that her husband wanted to come home for the day to spend Thanksgiving Day with his family and would be devastated if he was unable to do so for health reasons. The nursing home originally informed our client that her husband leaving the nursing home during a Medicare-covered stay would result in a loss of coverage if he went home for the day because it would be evidence [...]

2024-03-08T11:18:47-05:00December 1, 2023|
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