Why do many senior citizens prefer to age in place?
Nursing homes, to many, represent a loss of freedom and a reduced quality of life. Here are a few good reasons why these fears are justified: • In 2007, inspectors received 37,150 complaints about conditions in nursing homes. Roughly one-fifth of the complaints verified by federal and state authorities involved the abuse or neglect of patients. Specific problems included infected bedsores, medication mix-ups, poor nutrition, and other forms of neglect. • The proportion of nursing homes cited for deficiencies ranged from 76% in Rhode Island to as high as 100% in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. • Many cases have been exposed in which nursing homes billed Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not provided. • A significant percentage of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused immediate jeopardy or actual harm to patients. Aging-in-Place Inspections Inspectors may recommend corrections and adaptations to the home to improve maneuverability, accessibility, and safety fo
