A sweeping overhaul of the state's long-term care system is needed to address violence stemming from a "toxic" mix of frail elderly and younger mentally ill residents in Illinois nursing homes, a government task force said.Gov. Pat Quinn's task force on nursing home safety released its final report with 37 recommendations, including increased staffing levels and higher fines, fees and taxes on facilities to pay for more government oversight and discourage violations -- requirements that the nursing home industry opposes.
Quinn said he'd evaluate the report and work with others to "make these reforms a reality." The recommendations "point the way to a system of long-term care that respects the needs and rights of all residents," Quinn said in a written statement.
The recommendations would add more teeth to laws governing the state's 1,200 nursing homes and expand other types of housing.
More than any other state, Illinois has relied on nursing homes to house younger adults with serious mental illnesses, an Associated Press analysis found. Elderly residents have been victimized by stronger, younger residents living next door -- or sometimes in the same room. A Chicago Tribune series of articles spurred Quinn to form the task force.
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Task Force Calls for Overhaul of State's Nursing Homes
I think this is happening more and more everywhere. In Florida I often visited an Assisted Living Facility where I had opportunity to speak with and also observe a man around 50. He said he was bi-polar and had a guardian who placed him there against his will. I observed this man on more than one occassion return to this facility from an outting on his bicycle where he was so drunk he could barely stand up. On one occassion he had fallen off the bike was scrapped from head to toe, bleeding, had urinated on himself. He was quickly whisked off to his room. Under the influence of alcohol, anything could happen to the other residents, especially in an understaffed facility. The "professional guardian" gets paid, the facility gets paid and no one is looking out for the residents!
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to see the nursing facility reform movement gaining steam! Thank you, Gov. Pat Quinn and the state of Illinois.
ReplyDeleteYounger, dangerous residents should not be placed in the same facility as the frail elderly.
ReplyDeleteNow why would the nursing home industry object to more government oversight to end the horrors?
ReplyDeleteIt's all about money!
Elderly people and young mentally ill people. Why would anyone think that this is intelligent?
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