Older adults who move into nursing homes are often wholly dependent on professional caregivers. They do not cook their own meals, bathe themselves or even control their own medications anymore.
Nursing home workers oversee their care and monitor their conditions. Both neglect and outright abuse are somewhat common in modern nursing homes. Underpaid workers and understaffed facilities can leave vulnerable residents without the support they truly require. Florida lawmakers have taken note and recently passed a budget bill that could help address substandard nursing home care.
Medicaid may soon pay more to nursing homes
Many older adults living in nursing homes rely on Medicaid benefits. Medicare does not cover long-term care. Even those who saved for retirement may not have the resources necessary to cover thousands of dollars in nursing home expenses each month.
Older adults often rely on Medicaid when they require long-term care. The limits of Medicaid coverage can impact nursing home care, as most facilities operate on a for-profit basis. Thankfully, a new budget could eventually lead to an improvement in care standards.
The fiscal year 2025-26 should see a significant increase in the funds allocated for Medicaid payments related to long-term care. The budget, which was signed into law this summer, allows for an additional $276 million to cover nursing home care for eligible older adults.
Those millions of dollars in extra funding could translate to better worker wages and more staff members on hand to address resident needs. Even when people pay out of pocket for nursing home care, the professionals staffing the facility could still neglect or abuse them.
Families may need to pursue nursing home abuse or negligence lawsuits in response to a loved one’s injuries. Monitoring the care a loved one receives is critical for those who may need to advocate for a vulnerable older adult, even when standards are improving as a general rule.
