The Ways and Means Committee of the Indiana House of Representatives recently met and passed a bill purporting to increase the quality of care in Indiana nursing homes. The bill, which will next move on to the full House of Representatives for a vote, places a moratorium on the building of new nursing homes for one year. Should it pass, the bill will effectively halt new nursing homes from being built for a full year. The original bill suggested a 5-year moratorium on new nursing home development, but that number was lowered to one year in committee meetings.Proponents of the Bill
Proponents of the bill argue that most elderly people want to stay in their home. However, with an increasing number of nursing homes being built, elderly people on the fence about whether or not to move to a nursing home may be convinced to move in, when the decision is actually against what they truly want.
The design of the bill is to keep new nursing homes out of the market for awhile to let the older nursing homes fill up to capacity. Currently, many Indiana nursing homes are not near their capacity which creates financial pressure because they have certain fixed, or overhead, costs that don’t vary according to the number of residents. If nursing homes are allowed to fill up, then nursing homes are able to defray the fixed costs over a larger number of residents, allowing them to become more efficient.
Those Against the New Bill
Some, however, are against the new bill, arguing that it only stifles competition among nursing homes. By putting a halt to new nursing homes, residents will have less choice in where to move in. This artificial ceiling in the amount of nursing homes will result in less choice for seniors seeking a nursing home. It is worth noting, however, that the group against the new bill is largely comprised of those with financial interests that are at stake, such as nursing home development companies.
Indiana Nursing Homes Vary Greatly in Quality of Care
Like all other business, there are good nursing homes and bad ones. This is true across the nation, including in Indiana. Among the may ways to rate Indiana nursing homes, none are perhaps more important than the quality of care they provide to their residents. When selecting a nursing home, make sure to find out what others have said about the specific home and what its reputation is.
What To Do if You Believe Your Loved One Is Not Receiving Adequate Care
If you believe that your loved one is not receiving the care that they deserve, there may be the possibility of a monetary award based on the nursing home’s breach of a legal duty. Nursing homes have legal duties to provide adequate care to all residents. When they fail to meet their duty of care, they can be held liable in an Indiana Court of law. To find out more about the Indiana nursing home law, contact an experienced Indiana nursing home attorney as soon as possible. Click here, or call 866-987-7277 today to schedule a free initial consultation.