Florence Nightingale is widely considered to be the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale received intense on-the-ground experience in nursing during the Crimean war in the 1850s. Working as a British nurse, she found appalling conditions in the hospitals of Constantinople in which soldiers were being treated for injuries. She found more were dying from poor hygiene conditions rather than injuries sustained in battle. She focused on turning the hospital into a clean and appealing place to stay. She brought these techniques back home to London after the war, where she established herself as a leader in nursing practices, which are still in effect today.
By Michel Hurtado, For The Trentonian
As we exit the COVID-19 pandemic that wrought havoc on the Garden State’s nursing homes, we need to have an honest conversation about what goes on in these places and what can be done about them. It’s never easy to place a loved one in a nursing home. People are naturally hesitant to resort to this option due to many horror stories associated with these facilities. New Jersey is no exception, indeed, it is a perfect example why.
A February 2022 report from the State Comptroller (OSC) found that 15 nursing homes in New Jersey’s Medicaid program performed poorly with no consequences. A March report from this year reveals little has changed.
The following was documented:
- Seven of the twelve lowest-rated nursing homes identified in this report were also identified in OSC’s original report, issued over a year ago.
- Only one of the twelve nursing homes identified in this report has shown any signs of recent improvement.
- Using OSC’s methodology, three facilities showed no improvement at all over the review period.
- Several of the facilities on OSC’s list have provided sub-standard care for nearly a decade.
- In the past three years, three of the four “graduates” of the SFF Program, a program designed to improve nursing home quality, have reverted to one-star ratings.
- Twenty administrators of one of the lowest-rated facilities own multiple nursing homes in New Jersey, with four owning or operating multiple facilities on OSC’s lowest-rated list.
The twelve facilities named in the March 2023 report received a combined total of $577,526,015 in Medicaid funds. Taxpayers are not getting the bang for their many bucks. OSC has said that both the NJ Department of Health and the NJ Department of Human Services have largely ignored their recommendations to improve the quality of these facilities. All twelve have consistently received the lowest possible rating from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Residents of long-term care facilities often suffer from age-related mental illnesses that can lead to altercations with other residents and staff. There is currently a bill in the General Assembly that has been stuck in the Assembly Health Committee since June of last year. Assembly Bill 4276 would require nursing homes to provide more rigorous and detailed training to staff in behavioral health issues. This bill was introduced in the last legislative session and died in committee.
Other bills that would help tackle the problems plaguing Garden State nursing homes have also seen little-to-no traction. Also stuck in committee since February 2022 is a bill that would require biennial inspections of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Another bill would establish a “Long-Term Care Facility Infectious Disease Preparedness and Home Health Care Study Commission.” The bill currently has six co-sponsors from both parties. It is currently stuck in the Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee. A Senate bill introduced would establish testing and visitation requirements and employment restrictions for long-term care facilities in response to outbreaks of infectious disease. One might think this bill would have been on the governor’s desk by the end of 2020. It’s been in committee since January 2022. Every single one of these bills had been introduced in the last legislative session. We’re at the end of this session and these bills seemed to be heading nowhere.
Taxpayers cannot afford to foot the bill for sub-standard and outright cruel treatment of some of our most vulnerable people. Thousands of Garden State families have to worry every day whether or not their loved one is safe in the nursing home they are in. It’s time for the legislature to get on top of this issue now.
Michel F. Hurtado is a student at Kean University where he currently majors in public administration with a minor in political science. He is a candidate for the General Assembly from the 15th district.
