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June 11, 2024
In this Issue:
- Consumer Voice Highlights Dangers of Private Equity Nursing Home Ownership in Letter
- New Podcast on Understanding the Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule
- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is This Saturday, June 15
- Kathy Greenlee Recipient of John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees Award
- Massachusetts AG Reaches $4 Million Settlement with Nursing Home Operator for Staffing and Care Failures Resulting in Resident Harm
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Consumer Voice Highlights Dangers of Private Equity Nursing Home Ownership in Letter
Last week, Consumer Voice sent a letter, in response to a Request for Information (RFI), to the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Trade Commission regarding corporate greed in nursing home care. It is indisputable that private equity investment (PE) has impacted nursing home care in the United States. Private equity investment is just an acute symptom of a chronic disease that has plagued nursing homes for decades and that is profiteering over patient care. Consumer Voice's responses to the RFI focused on: the conditions that made nursing home ownership attractive to PE; the effect of PE ownership on nursing home care; and recommendations to make the nursing home sector a less attractive investment for PE and other unscrupulous private investors.
Read our letter.
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New Podcast on Understanding the Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule
 In April 2024, a new federal rule requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes was released. This rule is an important step toward improving quality conditions in nursing homes and ensuring that residents receive the care they need. Listen to a new episode of the Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care Podcast in which Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka and Sam Brooks talk about the importance of the rule, what it says, and how we can start thinking about using it in advocating for quality care. Read Consumer Voice's summary of the rule.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, SoundCloud, Facebook, or our website.
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is This Saturday, June 15
 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), observed each year on June 15th, serves as a call-to-action for our communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders, and reaffirm our commitment to the principle of justice for all.
All older people have the right to live free from abuse and neglect. Yet, thousands of nursing home residents experience mistreatment every year. Many nursing home residents find it difficult to speak out about their abuse and many find it harder when, or if, people don’t believe them. Others may lack the capacity to report abuse or recognize when it has occurred. Families and friends can help by watching for signs of abuse and taking appropriate action if they suspect abuse.
Consumer Voice Resources:
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Kathy Greenlee Recipient of John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees Award
 Kathy J. Greenlee, JD is the recipient of the John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees Award. She was given the award for her decades of government service and advocacy on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities, especially those who need long-term services and supports, are at risk of elder abuse, are LGBTQ+ and who live in rural America. This award is given every two years to an individual or group that has made outstanding contributions to improving care for older adults through demonstrated excellence in clinical practice, education, research or policy.
Read more about Kathy's work.
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Massachusetts AG Reaches $4 Million Settlement with Nursing Home Operator for Staffing and Care Failures Resulting in Resident Harm
The Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) has reached a $4 million settlement with nursing home operator Next Step Healthcare, LLC. The settlement, which is the largest nursing home settlement ever reached by the MA AG’s Office, resolves allegations that Next Step deliberately failed to properly staff the nursing homes it owned and operated, resulting in resident harm and neglect. As part of the settlement, most of Next Steps’ facilities will be required to be overseen, at Next Steps’ own expense, by an independent compliance monitor. The settlement follows a years-long investigation by the AG’s Office, which investigated reports of substandard care or regulatory violations at Next Step’s nursing homes based on complaints and referrals received from the Department of Public Health.
Read the AG's press release for more information.
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