The nonprofit Missouri Alliance for Long-Term Care Reform has released a report about the state’s nursing homes. The report alleges understaffing, inadequate supervision, government funding being diverted to increase profits over care, and repeated citations for failing to improve at 68 Missouri nursing homes.
During a rally inside the Missouri Capitol, nursing home advocates were there to raise awareness about what they call “a nursing home crisis.”
Michelle Gralnick, who co-founded the organization, said Missouri’s nursing homes are dealing with understaffing and high turnovers, which impacts everyday care, such as helping a resident use the restroom.
“While somebody may simply say ‘Oh, well what’s the difference between 10 minutes and 20 minutes where they can go in their pants?’ It really is a huge consequence and it has tremendous health implications as well as issues of just self-esteem,” Gralnick said at last Wednesday’s rally.
Her group is pushing for legislative action to address the problems, including bills that would strengthen monitoring, improve management, and establish minimum staffing requirements.
Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, spoke at the rally. He called the crisis is an issue that every single Missourian should care about.
“I think it’s really really important that if you’re going to put a loved one in a healthcare facility, that you know who owns the facility that you’re entrusting the life of some of the most important people in your life to, and that you know who is profiting and who’s making financial decisions that impact a very vulnerable member of your family,” Webber said.
Katherine Stewart, an SEIU Healthcare union representative who works at Highland Rehabilitation Center in Kansas City, explained what she personally is dealing with.
“We have days where there is only two of us working the floor,” she said. “Everyone knows in nursing facilities and even in hospitals, you cannot do certain things with just two people.”
However, at the mid-point of the legislative session, several bills, including one from Sen. Webber, have not yet had a public hearing for a committee of lawmakers to initially study their details.
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