Texas nursing homes kicking out patients with little or no oversight
AUSTIN – A failure in oversight and enforcement is driving a rise in facility-initiated discharges in Texas long-term care facilities, but the extent remains unknown, experts say.
Improper discharges are when a facility, without due cause, evicts a resident often into unsafe environments and with little support. Since 2017, issues related to discharges have consistently ranked in the top five complaint types the state receives, according to Texas Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman annual reports.
“I think just about every ombudsman across the state has encountered a situation where [improper discharges] happened or been threatened to happen,” said Alexa Schoeman, Texas deputy state ombudsman. “So while it is extreme, it’s, unfortunately, somewhat common.”
Facilities are allowed to initiate discharges of residents who have had improved health, the resident’s needs cannot be met by the facility or the health and safety of other residents is endangered, according to federal law. They must also provide written notice 30 days in advance.
Read more: https://www.gainesvilleregister.com/news/texas-nursing-homes-kicking-out-patients-with-little-or-no-oversight/article_69f5fc3e-5775-11ec-a945-23bb310a8ac2.html