Haven Healthcare Becomes Lightning Rod In Congress

One of Connecticut's largest nursing-home chains, Haven Healthcare, became the example of horrors in the industry Thursday when its saga was told to an oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

[Middletown Joe]

I agree with most said here. Now as everyone talks the talk. How many of us are willing to walk the walk, which will be very expensive?

This has been going on for years. The nursing shortage has been here since the 80's. Reimbursement has been dismal, which is why you have not seen ANY community hospital running to purchase any nursing homes.

So as all these politicians point fingers and say "ain't it ashame" where are they standing? Certainly not in front of a mirror, where they belong.

[JoeM]

Maybe the government should get into the nursing home business and take that industry over...and take over all gas stations with the government operating them...Obama 08...he'll fix it all...LOL

[Reader]

Why would anyone want a state to fork over more dollars to let Alzhiemers patients run loose? Someone's head should've been on a block, and written up accordingly. Oh wait, from previous reads, suppose one must consider the management "style" of this chain.

[george]

God, this guy is an embarassment. Is there anything he won't do to get the microphone?

[pepperboy]

The state pays nursing homes $200 a day for state residents. Thats 3 meals, 24 hours of care, therapy, bathing, laundry, housekeeping, recreation and entertainment and nursing supervision. How much did Blumenthal pay per day for his trip to Washington and how did he help the state of CT? He embarrassed the state and helped with the deficit!

[Linholmar]

These problems go even further!! I think one of the most important things is that the nursing homes do NOT allow patients personnal Doctors to have contact with or have a voice in their patients care. It would booster patient care if each patient was allowed outside care. An Exam: Family feels something is wrong and the facility denies anything is wrong. The patients family advocate could call in an outside doctor for a second opinion.
Nursing homes have their own Medical Doctors, everything is kept in house..Most facilities only have 1 doctor taking most of their info from Nurses or Aids within the facility.. They are treated like a flock of sheep..Regular routine for meds is sometimes to the point where every single person in the facility recieves stool softeners because constipation is a problem because of certain meds and some diets..Give us all a break!! Maybe just asking patients would be a better idea!!!
I have too much to complain about and there are not enough words. My mother was a patient for Knee surgury rehab. She was supposed to be in for 6 days and ended up staying for all most 2 months..The Staff wouldn't listen to our concerns and we ended up discharging her so she could see her own doctors.. The Nursing home industry needs more than just a financial watch!!! It needs a complete overhaul!! Government needs to listen to the general public!! We have a lot to say!!!!

[ray hater]

pepperboy wrote:

The state pays nursing homes $200 a day for state residents. Thats 3 meals, 24 hours of care, therapy, bathing, laundry, housekeeping, recreation and entertainment and nursing supervision. How much did Blumenthal pay per day for his trip to Washington and how did he help the state of CT? He embarrassed the state and helped with the deficit!

you're an embarassment. are you saying that instead richard blumenthal should funnel state money into a record company in nashville to fufill his pipe dream of a music career during a hurricane? you are a douche.

[Hrmm]

pepperboy wrote:

The state pays nursing homes $200 a day for state residents. Thats 3 meals, 24 hours of care, therapy, bathing, laundry, housekeeping, recreation and entertainment and nursing supervision. How much did Blumenthal pay per day for his trip to Washington and how did he help the state of CT? He embarrassed the state and helped with the deficit!

How much did Travis Tritt cost the state per day? If there is no money to be made, how come Ray and Tony have such big paychecks instead of paying for heating oil and cable for the residents? Because they don't care. If you were to give the Haven homes more money, the homes whould never see it. Fat Tony and Weenee Termini would scarf it up.

[Nursingczar]

The vast majority of nursing homes do an excellent job. Here in Michigan, we have a 90% approval ratings from our residents and/or families.

I have been in long term care for almost twenty years. I have worked as a facility administrator for all of those years. In my career, I have worked for privately owned and publically traded corporations, large national chains and regional chains, non-profit and for profit, small facilities and large facilities, subacute rehab centers and basic care/assisted living oriented homes, urban and suburban buildings, union and non-union. I worked for HCR-ManorCare for a decade. I currently work for an independent. I have basically seen it all over the years.

The chains do not staff their buildings with enough care givers. This includes both licensed nurses and CENA's. They will tell you that they do but trust me, they manipulate staffing levels like a yo-yo when census drops. I cannot tell you how many times I was forced to decrease staffing due to drops in census. They actively forced Medicaid residents to be discharged. They want the short term stay Medicare residents or insurance residents because the reimbursement is much higher from those payor sources.

The care provided in Christian oriented non-profit homes in significantly better. Its no secret, more staff means better care. Nurses don't get burned out so fast, CENA's have more time to tend to the needs of their residents, the buildings have more activities for the residents to attend, the food is better, managers are under less stress and the whole place is better maintained.

Do yourself a favor and stick to non profit facilities when considering a nursing center for your elderly family member.

[tootsie]

Why doesn't someone in the media look into the formulary for reimbursing nursing homes. Especially non-union homes. It's antiquated. The large corporate entities fix their books so that their reimbursement is high. The smaller. older facilitites are left in the cold.

[tootsie]

JoeM wrote:

Maybe the government should get into the nursing home business and take that industry over...and take over all gas stations with the government operating them...Obama 08...he'll fix it all...LOL

If the government got into the nursing home business the price of care per day would be astronomical. The govt just expects OTHERS to do things cheaply

[tootsie]

pepperboy wrote:

The state pays nursing homes $200 a day for state residents. Thats 3 meals, 24 hours of care, therapy, bathing, laundry, housekeeping, recreation and entertainment and nursing supervision. How much did Blumenthal pay per day for his trip to Washington and how did he help the state of CT? He embarrassed the state and helped with the deficit!

Check into the facts. Some only get 180.00 a day. That's a travesty.

[joe]

I thought the governor said no unnecessary travel. Why do they let this Bozo go anywhere?

[pepperboy]

Linholmar wrote:

These problems go even further!! I think one of the most important things is that the nursing homes do NOT allow patients personnal Doctors to have contact with or have a voice in their patients care. It would booster patient care if each patient was allowed outside care. An Exam: Family feels something is wrong and the facility denies anything is wrong. The patients family advocate could call in an outside doctor for a second opinion.
Nursing homes have their own Medical Doctors, everything is kept in house..Most facilities only have 1 doctor taking most of their info from Nurses or Aids within the facility.. They are treated like a flock of sheep..Regular routine for meds is sometimes to the point where every single person in the facility recieves stool softeners because constipation is a problem because of certain meds and some diets..Give us all a break!! Maybe just asking patients would be a better idea!!!
I have too much to complain about and there are not enough words. My mother was a patient for Knee surgury rehab. She was supposed to be in for 6 days and ended up staying for all most 2 months..The Staff wouldn't listen to our concerns and we ended up discharging her so she could see her own doctors.. The Nursing home industry needs more than just a financial watch!!! It needs a complete overhaul!! Government needs to listen to the general public!! We have a lot to say!!!!

This is not true at all. Every resident is entitled to their own doctor. Truth is, most doctors do not feel like seeing nursing home patients because of their office and hospital visits. They are the ones who frequently get the resident turned over to a medical director. Its still all about the money.

[Jodi Swell]

joe wrote:

I thought the governor said no unnecessary travel. Why do they let this Bozo go anywhere?

Any time you can get him out of the state it cannot be considered unnecessary travel. Its the return flight home that seems unnecessary

[Mcfly]

tootsie wrote:

<quoted text>Check into the facts. Some only get 180.00 a day. That's a travesty.

I KNOW, THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE LISTED EVERY SINGLE HOME AND THEIR TITLE XIX RATE

[Jennifer]

It seems Blumenthal only wants to address issues where he can avoid real facts and money. Haven did not use Medicaid money for their other interests. If that was the case they would already be in jail.
Haven was loosing ten million dollars a year on Medicaid. Why doesn`t Blumenthal investigate DSS for gross mismagement of tax payer dollars.

[tootsie]

Jennifer wrote:

It seems Blumenthal only wants to address issues where he can avoid real facts and money. Haven did not use Medicaid money for their other interests. If that was the case they would already be in jail.
Haven was loosing ten million dollars a year on Medicaid. Why doesn`t Blumenthal investigate DSS for gross mismagement of tax payer dollars.

True. Payments are delayed 4-12 months and a tax is paid on unpaid money. You don't pay the tax your fined.
The costs don't cover the actual care, everyone wants and deserves a raise. It's a hell of a business, ungrateful, stressful,underpaid .

[Marty]

Mcfly wrote:

<quoted text>
I KNOW, THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE LISTED EVERY SINGLE HOME AND THEIR TITLE XIX RATE

The state has 240 nursing facilities, but only 229 get medicaid. The state pays $1,350,900,000 per year to these homes for 6,377,800 patient days for an average rate per day of $211.81

[Mr Irrational]

Jennifer wrote:

It seems Blumenthal only wants to address issues where he can avoid real facts and money. Haven did not use Medicaid money for their other interests. If that was the case they would already be in jail.
Haven was loosing ten million dollars a year on Medicaid. Why doesn`t Blumenthal investigate DSS for gross mismagement of tax payer dollars.

Because now we know Mr. Irrational does not mind lying to Federal Authorities:

1) He lied to the Federal Bankruptcy judge in New Haven in front of a crowded court room.

2) He lied to Congress yesterday. He never mentioned the rapes and suicides that have occured during his watch as AG over touble nursing homes and mental health centers.

Mr. Irrelevant should spend more time watching his investment in the Empire State Building grow and less time in front of camera's.

Mr. Irrelevant will become the next Mr. Spitzer. We are all awaiting his downfall.