
One of the most difficult decisions family care providers have to make is whether to put their mother or father in a nursing home. When a parent requires a greater level of care than a child can provide in a home setting, especially when the child is working and cannot be there 24/7, the decision arises as to whether to place a loved one in a skilled nursing facility, or nursing home. Such decision is often accompanied by a significant amount of guilt, even when the parent requires a higher level of care, and often around-the-clock monitoring, care and supervision, which is more than a layperson can provide.
When choosing a nursing home In New York for your mother or father, the nursing home is required by federal and state law to perform an assessment to determine the level of care your family member requires. The nursing home must then certify to the federal and state government, in most situations, that they are equipped to provide the required care to your family member, in order for the facility to be paid for its services.
The reality, from our experience, however, is that nursing homes in New York seek to fill all of their available patient beds in order to obtain the maximum compensation and resultant profits. Nursing homes in New York average revenue in the tens of millions of dollars, with some larger homes making hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per year.
The largest cost (or expense) for these nursing homes in every case is labor, the salaries they must pay for registered nurses, licensed nurses, CNAs (certified nursing assistants), physical therapists, occupation therapists, physicians, consultants, etc. In many nursing homes, we have seen that the for-profit owners maximize their profits and revenues by cutting the greatest costs, the staff. What happens when the nursing staff is cut? This very often leads to inadequate and often negligent care, including an overall lack of supervision, and a failure to provide a necessary level of care, such as failure to properly turn and position, bathe, toilet, change, feed, provide hygiene, ambulate, prevent bed sores, prevent deterioration, amongst many other things.
Some of the signs, symptoms, and injuries that appear as a result of nursing home failure to care are:
Bed Sores or Pressure Sores (also known as “decubitus ulcers” or “pressure ulcers”)
Falls resulting in fractures or other serious injury
Infection or Sepsis
Head injuries
Injuries of unknown origin
Malnutrition or Dehydration
Medication Errors
Choking
Clogged Breathing Tubes
Physical or Sexual Assault or Abuse
Physical or Chemical Restraints
Burns
Alzheimer's and other dementias
Assaults by staff
The New York State Department of Health lists 280 nursing homes which have been the subject of Enforcement Actions related to improper care and other violations since 2010:
A Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility Uniondale
Absolut Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Allegany, LLC Allegany
Absolut Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Aurora Park, LLC East Aurora
Absolut Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Endicott, LLC Endicott
Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Riverhead
Alice Hyde Medical Center Malone
Alpine Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Little Falls
Andrus On Hudson Hastings-On-hudson
Auburn Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Auburn
Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial Hospital Oneonta
Avon Nursing Home, LLC Avon
Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Scotia
Beach Gardens Rehab and Nursing Center Far Rockaway
Beacon Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Rockaway Park
Bedford Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Brooklyn
Beechtree Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Ithaca
Beechwood Homes Getzville
Bethany Gardens Skilled Living Center Rome
Bethel Nursing Home Company Inc Ossining
Bethlehem Commons Care Center Delmar
Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Syracuse
Boro Park Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare Brooklyn
Briarcliff Manor Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Briarcliff Manor
Bridge View Nursing Home Whitestone
Bridgewater Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing, LLC Binghamton
Brighton Manor Rochester
Bronx Center for Rehabilitation & Health Care Bronx
Bronx Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Bronx
Brookhaven Health Care Facility, LLC Patchogue
Brooklyn Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Brooklyn
Brooklyn United Methodist Church Home Brooklyn
Brookside Multicare Nursing Center Smithtown
Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Buffalo
Buffalo Community Healthcare Center Buffalo
Campbell Hall Rehabilitation Center Inc Campbell Hall
Capstone Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Amsterdam
Casa Promesa Bronx
Cayuga Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Ithaca
Central Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Syracuse
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center SNF Plattsburg
Charles T Sitrin Health Care Center Inc New Hartford
Chasehealth Rehab and Residential Care New Berlin
Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Dunkirk
Chemung County Health Center-Nursing Facility Elmira
Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Woodbury
Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center Roosevelt Island