Profit or patient? |
Yet another study, this one by the University of California at San Francisco research team led by Charlene Harrington, RN, Ph.D., and backed by the Service Employees International Union, suggests that lower levels of nursing staff in large for-profit nursing home chains have resulted in substantially lower quality of care when compared to government-owned or non-profit nursing homes.
Researchers compared staffing levels and facility deficiencies received by the United States’ 10 biggest nursing home chains, versus facilities run by five other types of ownership groups.
- Between 2003 and 2008, the for-profit facilities had fewer nurse “staffing hours,” researchers said.
- The 10 largest nursing home chains received 36% more deficiencies from regulators, according to the study.
- Additionally, the for-profit sites received more deficiencies after being purchased by private equity groups than before the purchases.
We have said this before. When investigating care options for your loved one, this is yet one more factor to consider. Ask about their profit status and probe to find who really owns the facility. These are becoming increasingly important factors.