Florida Continues to Fund assisted Living Homes Despite Abuse, Neglect

December 13, 2012

An investigation by the Miami-Herald found that Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration has continued to award assisting living facilities Medicaid funds despite repeated instances of abuse and neglect of residents.

The state of Florida gives the agency the power to withdraw or suspend Medicaid funding to assisted living facilities that fail to pass inspections or that have documented instances of abuse or neglect. Often, Medicaid funds mean the difference between survival and closing up shop for assisted living facilities, which rely on Medicaid money to fund everyday necessities like medication supervision, health therapies and feeding and bathing residents.

Medicaid dollars fund abusive assisted living facilities

Unfortunately, some of the most severe examples of abuse and neglect are found in the same two assisted living facilities. At one facility, one mentally-ill resident died from burns he received from being left in a tub of hot water and another was punched in the mouth by a caregiver. In the first case, the facility was fined and in the second it was issued a warning, but in neither case were Medicaid funds withdrawn or suspended, though they both qualified for the withdrawal.

At another assisted living facility, three women in their 80s fell victim to severe neglect and abuse. One woman was electrocuted after she fell and urinated on a power cord. She had pressed her call button multiple times after she fell but help never came. Another woman died after suffering a dozen falls and nine hospitalizations for injuries to her hips, ribs and head. Yet another woman was abused by a caregiver, who struck her with the back of his hand.

In these instances, the facility was fined upwards of $10,000 and the caregiver who struck a resident was fired. All of these incidents met the qualifications for Medicaid fund withdrawal, but the funds kept coming.

The state's continues to fund abusive homes

The Miami-Herald investigation found between 2008 and 2010, state assisted living facility regulators shut down just seven facilities, though they had enough evidence to close down ten times that many. The sad result of this lack of enforcement is that about one Florida assisted living resident per month died as a result of neglect or abuse in 2011, yet no arrests were made.

Furthermore, the Agency for Healthcare Administration has reduced or dropped fines imposed on many assisted living facilities since 2007, while awarding $23 million in Medicaid funds to 90 abusive or neglectful homes. Facilities can collect up to $500,000 a year in Medicaid support.

Until the state uses its power to withdraw Medicaid funds to abusive facilities, Florida's elderly and vulnerable residents will at risk of abuse and neglect at the hands of caregivers and facilities that are supposed to provide for them.

If you suspect your loved one has been neglected or abused at his or her assisted living facility, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

Article provided by Parvey & Frankel Attorneys, P.A.
Visit us at http://www.parveyfrankel.com