Staffing cuts weighed for nursing homes

[flashl]

As part of a cost-cutting move, House Republicans have proposed the suspension of patient-care standards at Florida nursing homes

TALLAHASSEE --In a move that one Miami nursing-home operator called a return to the ''dark ages,'' Republicans in the Florida House of Representatives want to suspend a state law that mandates how much care nursing-home patients must receive each day.

Seven years ago, Florida lawmakers put in place tough staffing requirements for nursing homes in exchange for limits on lawsuits against the institutions.

...

But now, House Republicans say nursing homes should have more ''flexibility'' in staffing decisions in order to cope with nearly $300 million worth of proposed budget cuts and a proposed two-year freeze on reimbursement rates paid by the state. A bill unveiled Thursday would prohibit the state from enforcing state laws on nursing-home patient care from June 30, 2008, to July 1, 2010.

''Right now, we don't have the money to pay them,'' said Rep. Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican and chairman of the House Healthcare Council.

Miami Herald

Its interesting to watch how there is suddenly no longer a need to follow nursing home guidelines as the Carlyle Group buys up nursing homes across the country.

[Crunchy Frog]

1. Why not just institute a system of euthanasia clinics?

Quick, clean, and far more humane than letting people die in their own filth of infected bedsores in understaffed nursing homes.

[jwirr]

2. I would guess that would be a good rw policy. It would also cut down

on the snowbird population. No one would come to their party anymore.