Ohio Nursing Homes Dump Patients

Nursing homes in United States — Ohio are increasingly discharging medically fragile patients to homeless shelters, a practice deemed unsafe and inappropriate by federal inspectors. The United States — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has faulted Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and six other facilities for such actions. One incident involved Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center discharging a diabetic woman with alcohol-related dementia to a shelter without securing proper rehabilitation. Another case saw The Laurels of Hillsboro discharge a long-term resident after 22 years due to insurance issues, without adequate notice or preparation. Meadowbrook Manor and New Lebanon Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center also discharged patients prematurely and without proper care plans. Industry experts like Chip Wilkins and Leilani Pelletier confirm an uptick in these incidents, often affecting older, homeless, and unemployed individuals. Scott Wiley of the Ohio Health Care Association attributes this to unstable housing and calls for state oversight and resources, while Marcus Roth of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio notes the strain on shelters. The issue is compounded by macroeconomic forces like inflation and reduced federal funding for United States — Medicaid, putting pressure on nursing facilities.