Waves of new fund cuts imperil US nursing homes by AP

Ok, so way back when, Mr. Obama became President Obama the debates began with people taking sides on what he will do or won't do. Who was a better president and on and on. Then there were the rumors that President Obama with his Healthcare Reform Bill or Health Insurance Reform bill, that there would be a cap placed on nursing salaries. It was also said by virtually every major news station that all of those rabble rousers at the Town Hall Meetings were just trying to use scare tactics to prevent this oh so wonderful Healthcare Reform bill through by scaring the seniors into believing that the government wanted to in essence euthanise our seniors. Well, Obama didn't start this but look at what is happening now... I wonder, just what President Obama will do with this one. Clinton started this mess with his form of so called Healthcare Reform by stealing the Social Security to help pay off the Federal Deficit and none of his predecessors thought to put the money back, but just hung on Clintons coat tails to scew the Federal Deficit numbers to the sleeping public.

Read the article and tell me what you think...rabble rousers? Or did the public finally wake up, a little too late but at least now we know. The future of our seniors in america? Were the rabble rousers right? Or do we continue to blindly believe what all of the politicians and tv/news reporters want us to believe? You decide...

http://www.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091...sing_home_cuts

Anyone that has worked in this industry for the past 5 years has known that the govenment has been making it increasingly hard for the nursing homes to make any money. Five years ago, the base that Medicaid would pay to a nursing home was around $18 a day. If the nursing home worked and sweated and documented and struggled to train CNA's to spend more time AWAY from the bedside to document nearly hourly they could get it up to $100 on average to $125-$130 per day. Think about the salary of one nurse, then 3 to cover 24-hours, then the CNA's salary, housekeeping, laundry, dietary, Restorative not to mention medications, MD, administrative costs and just your usual, lights, gas, water, electric... and it is no wonder that this is happening.

But I wonder, where will all of these lovely seniors go? I'd like to know what you think.

Being a frequent flier to SE Asia, they don't have the parent dumping issue we have. They take care of their old to the end and when they're too sick, they stay home and die 'cause it's time.

They're appaled we have housing for elderly when they have families. Only those without families get put up in those facilities and school kids go to visit feeling sorry they've been abandoned from having no family.

just sayin

And back when I was a child it was mostly true in the USA as well.In fact, I took care of my grandmother until she died in my bed. However, it no longer is. So IMHO, I think the following is a good quote:
"BAIL EM OUT! ????

Hell, back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country, our banking system, our auto industry, and possibly our health plans to the same nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling whiskey!"

what doe other countriesd do to pay for residental and nursing home care for the elderly.
there are slighly different systems in the four countries of the UK.
in scotland nurisng (rn care) is free as is personal care(adl)
in england and wales nurisng care is free but perosal care in a residental or nurisng home is not. it is means tested if you don't have money/property the state will pay(local social services) if you do you pay and any propery you own will be sold to pay for your care.
once you saving have reached a cerain level you then become eligble for state funded care.
This is a cause of a great deal of distress in the UK as those who didn't try to save and invest are see there hard work go to waste. those who didn't are as well off. It made more unfair as Scotish residents don't have to worry about losing theri savings.
However it cost a lot for residental/nusing care and if cost money to even room and board someone so why that should come out of the public purse seems wrong and these persons also get a pension but most of that qoes to topping up home fees and a small amount is for clothing/soaps/enterainment/candy

There is no such thing as "free" care from the government in any country in the world. there is no such thing as a free pension when you get old. the government doesnt have any money to pay for healthcare... they take it from the people and give to others. the people are paying for it through taxes. the more "free" healthcare prople get, the higher the taxes on the population. even in cultures in which people stay home and are cared for by their families it is not free. the family or someone is paying for it.