ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
The Costs and Risks of Nursing Home Care
Paying for Low-Quality
It’s well known that the cost of nursing home care can be ruinous to a family’s finances. Most families have trouble absorbing monthly residence fees that can approach $10,000, and it can drain an elders savings and end up costing relatives a great deal. One would expect that in exchange, seniors in retirement communities and skilled nursing facilities could expect to be treated like royalty. Sadly, that is not always the case. Neglect, improperly trained staff, and numerous other issues plague nursing homes, and they are also notorious for rampant government fraud, such as providing costly and unnecessary procedures, and billing medi-care. California Nursing homes are often owned by large conglomerates, and sometimes the profit margin becomes more important than the welfare of the patient.
Even for seniors and their families that plan in advance for nursing home care, things don’t always go as smoothly as planned. Long term care insurance, designed to help pay for nursing care costs, can itself be a risky purchase, as many policies don’t cover the treatment required, pay only a small percentage of the costs of care, or are denied outright. Long term care insurance is many people’s first line of defense, and when it doesn’t work, they are left scrambling for options.
Major sellers of Long Term Care insurance include:
- John Hancock
- Transamerica
- Genworth
- Metlife
- Conseco
- UNUM
- Aegon
- Prudential
Looking after your Loved Ones
It can be a hard decision to move a loved one out of their home and into a nursing home. Many seniors would rather stay in their own homes, even after it has become impossible to live on their own. In-home care is available, but often expensive, and with untrained staff that can’t manage any serious medical issues that may arise. Once an elder is in a nursing home, though, it doesn’t mean they can stop being looked after. Homes may be understaffed, and the staff won’t know the personality and condition of the resident as well as you. It’s important to visit, stay in touch, and stay involved. Sometimes, though, all the vigilance in the world can’t prevent abusive conditions from arising.
Contact Us
If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse, been improperly denied long term care coverage, or suffered physical or financial elder abuse, contact the Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or online at www.evanslaw.com. Our firm handles cases involving insurance, annuity, and investment fraud, financial and physical elder abuse, nursing home abuse, and qui tam and whistleblower law.
