The December 3, 2014 announcement by Dr. Ron Chapman that he is resigning his position as Director of the California Department of Public Health is welcome news to California nursing home residents.
In a three-part series, NPR recently took on the persistent problem of antipsychotics in nursing homes. Part 1 reviewed some very bad cases of antipsychotic misuse in California nursing homes. Part 2 criticized the federal government’s effort to enforce nursing home rules regarding antipsychotic misuse and Part 3 focused on the good dementia care practices at Ecumen nursing homes in Minnesota that have led to dramatic decreases in antipsychotic usage.
Most nursing home residents are admitted from hospitals and typically have up to 100 days of their nursing home stay covered by Medicare, which pays a generous rate compared with other payment sources.
Last year my mom was found eligible for 56 hours under the In-Home Supportive Services program, which provides care for seniors who need extra help in order to stay out of a nursing home.
In This Issue
The Sacramento Bee published a groundbreaking series of articles in November on who owns California nursing homes and why it matters to people who need nursing home care.