How Trumpcare Could Lead to More Nursing Home Abuse

As our country continues to age and individuals live longer lives, their need for medical care and long-term care increases. Health care policy, therefore, has a significant effect on older Americans. At least one version of the Senate’s healthcare bill has major consequences for those individuals who need long-term care. The Medicaid program supports almost two-thirds of long-term care residents, so the proposed cuts to Medicaid in the bill will have a drastic impact on those who need long-term care and the industry itself.

Back in the 1970s, there was a nationwide wave of abuse in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Poor funding of these facilities, which led to a lack of proper staffing, caused many long-term care residents to be neglected, at best, and severely abused, in the worst cases. This systemic neglect and abuse resulted in patients left unwashed and medically untreated for days on end, with no rehabilitation efforts whatsoever. Infection ran rampant in these institution and conditions like dehydration and bedsores in nursing home residents were commonplace. Even worse, in some nursing homes, large numbers of patients were immobilized for hours on end, simply because there was no one to care for them.  If patients created “trouble” by having a need, or complained about conditions, staff members often would “punish” them through abusive actions.

The fear is that in the era of Trumpcare, nursing homes and long-term care facilities will return to the nightmarish living conditions of the past. While the workers in these facilities may have perpetrated the abuse and neglect of their residents, it was the administrators and policymakers that created the conditions in the first place. Declining funds lead directly to declining conditions, and the situation becomes even worse as the demand for long-term care continues to rise.

If your loved one has suffered injuries due to abuse or neglect at the hands of medical staff at a nursing home or other healthcare facility, you may have a valid personal injury claim. This type of situation makes it essential to contact an experienced Wisconsin nursing home abuse attorney in order to protect your rights and obtain the financial relief that your family deserves. Certain healthcare providers have an obligation under the law to report suspected abuse or neglect of a nursing home or other facility resident. Those who fail to do so must face the consequences of their actions. Hold negligent Wisconsin healthcare providers responsible for the injuries that they cause. Contact Boller & Vaughan today and learn how we can help you.