• A new analysis by the University of Pennsylvania shows that the Biden Administration’s rule to set minimum staffing standards in US nursing homes would save about 13,000 lives annually. The analysis confirms that imposing minimum staffing standards would significantly improve resident outcomes, such as reducing pressure sores, urinary tract infections, and mortality rates.
  • Despite the positive findings, the nursing home industry continues to oppose the rule, prioritizing financial gains over care standards. Senator Elizabeth Warren released the analysis and criticized the industry’s stance, emphasizing the potential harm to residents.

• “No prison for a nursing home owner who sent 800 residents to ride out a hurricane in squalor.”
  • Bob Dean Jr. pleaded no contest to 15 criminal counts and received three years of probation after sending 800 nursing home residents to a poorly equipped warehouse during Hurricane Ida. Conditions in the warehouse deteriorated quickly after the storm hit in 2021. Authorities found bedridden residents on wet mattresses, some crying for help while lying in their own waste, and insufficient food and water. Despite the gross disregard for human life, Dean received no jail time.

• The Grand Health Care is paying over $21 million to settle claims of billing the federal government for unnecessary or unperformed programs at their 12 nursing homes in New York. The settlement follows allegations that, from 2014-2019, The Grand knowingly submitted false claims for rehabilitation therapy, falsified therapy records, and extended patient stays unnecessarily to maximize Medicare billing.
  • Meanwhile, Grand Health Care owns three facilities on the federal Special Focus Facility candidate list, meaning that they have been identified as among the worst in the country.
  • According to federal data, the average Five-Star ratings for Grand facilities are:
    • Overall: 1.8
    • Inspections: 2
    • Staffing: 1.4

• Despite claims of “razor-thin” margins and no money for more staff, the industry is riding high.
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in senior living and skilled nursing facilities hit a new quarterly record.
  • Levin Associates reports that private equity investment continues to play a “substantial role” in the healthcare M&A market.

LTCCC’s latest datasets provide information on the extent to which “harm” or “immediate jeopardy” are identified when substandard care, neglect, or abuse are cited. This information is important because, in the absence of the identification of resident harm or immediate jeopardy in a nursing home citation, it is extremely unlikely that a facility will face any penalty. See penalty data here.