Nursing homes will get a “star rating” from the federal government to help consumers pick the best facilities. It is expected that this sweeping governmental initiative may create “peer pressure” among owners to improve care. The ratings, from a low of one star to a high of five, will be posted starting in December 2008.. read more →

A recent article in the NJ Lawyer newspaper examined the safeguards in federal and state law designed to protect elderly, infirm and disabled nursing home residents from involuntary transfers or discharges from their care facilities. According to federal law, a nursing home can discharge a resident only for the following reasons: The resident’s health has.. read more →

According to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the New Jersey Office of the Public Advocate is investigating allegations that a company operating eight assisted living facilities in South Jersey improperly discharged residents when their savings ran out. Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen is scheduled to appear in Court in early June 2008 to.. read more →

Hundreds of health care workers braved windswept rain outside the Statehouse recently to protest nearly $200 million in proposed cuts to hospitals and nursing homes. Many wore surgical masks that read, “These cuts make me sick.” Most of the hospital cuts proposed in Gov. Jon Corzine’s budget would come from money the state provides to.. read more →

I recently read two interesting articles and a study on the ever-increasing costs of long-term care, both in the nation and New Jersey. The articles are found in the Houston-Chronicle and the Star-Ledger, while the study, in which researchers examined data from more than 10,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in-home care providers nationwide… read more →

An administrative law judge has concluded that an individual who is trying to avoid nursing home care by applying for home- or community-based coverage under a Medicaid waiver program, but who has made a transfer during the look-back period, must have the penalty period begin on the date on which the applicant would otherwise be.. read more →