Seniors residing in for-profit nursing homes may be receiving lower-quality care than those in government-held or non-profit nursing facilities.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have just released a report concluding that the nation's ten largest, for-profit nursing home chains tend to have higher rates of "deficiency" (sub-par sanitary conditions, falls, pressure sores, infections, etc.).
These ten chains account for 13% of nursing home beds in the U.S.
For-profit nursing homes often operate under a cost-minimization model, compelling them to hire as few nurses and support staff as they possibly can. According to the authors, this is the primary reason that for-profit nursing homes in the study had 30% fewer nursing hours and 36% more deficiencies than non-profit and government care facilities.
According to a UCSF press release, lead study author, Charlene Harrington, feels that recent changes to Medicare may further reduce care quality in some nursing homes. She says the decision to reduce rates for Medicare beneficiaries living in nursing homes could compel for-profits to shrink their already below-average nursing staff numbers.
The study authors emphasize that more research needs to be done. But, they say that stricter regulations, such as fines and penalties for facilities without enough nurses, may incentivize for-profit nursing homes to increase their staff numbers.