Nursing Homes Can Be Dangerous
When families can no longer care for their loved ones, sometimes their only choice is a nursing home. Such care can be expensive, with some facilities costing more than $9,000 a month to provide care and treatment to a resident.
That’s a lot of money, and unfortunately, the care that many residents receive does not often match that cost. Neglect and abuse are sadly a common occurrence in nursing homes.
South Carolina has many nursing homes, and they vary in performance. Some perform much worse than others, according to federal data. Nursing homes are graded on a five-star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Of the 187 facilities examined in the state, 45 currently have a one-star rating, which is the worst rating available. Making matters worse is that of those 45 poorly rated facilities, 13 were recently cited for abuse. These facilities are located throughout the state, from counties in the Upstate region (including Anderson and Cherokee) to the Pee Dee region (Florence and Bennettsville) and down to the coast (Charleston and Horry counties).
CMS defines abuse as the “willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.” Abuse is often considered to be physical in nature, but abuse in this context also encompasses verbal abuse, mental abuse, and sexual abuse.
The CMS Star Rating System takes several factors into account, including staffing, quality measures, and health inspections. Most of the nursing homes in the United States are in the Star Rating System, given that CMS examines all facilities that accept payments from Medicaid and Medicare. However, it should be noted that no rating system can ensure that a nursing home may be best for a particular person.
The need for nursing home care is on the rise. Almost 20%, or 1,038,094 South Carolina residents, age 65 or older in 2023. That’s up significantly from 2015, when 16.2% of the state’s residents were age 65 or older.
Contact Us Today
Nursing homes are supposed to take care of our loved ones, but many do not. There are many nursing homes in South Carolina that are simply not up to par and fail to provide the level of care and supervision they promise. Sadly, this can oftentimes lead to injuries and even death.
Neglect and abuse are unacceptable and should not have a place in nursing homes. If your loved one has been injured by nursing home staff, contact a Columbia nursing home abuse & neglect lawyer from Simmons Law Firm. We are ready to stand up for you and your family and hold nursing homes accountable for the harm they have caused. Schedule a consultation today by calling (803) 779-4600 or filling out the online form.
Source:
thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article303829536.html
