End-Stage Alzheimer's Patients Often Hospitalized Unnecessarily

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For addressing the waste and mismanaged care in nursing homes, we need an efficient mechanism for monitoring for health care providers who persistently order patient interventions based on convenience, risk management and other self-serving agendas---along with an effective mechanism for reining these individuals in. It is reasonable to believe that if the needless, repetitive ping-ponging of nursing home patients back and forth between acute care hospitals’ emergency rooms, and back to nursing homes repeatedly in their last days to months of life could be successfully stopped, Medicare’s financial footing would become firm again and remain so well into the foreseeable future.
In any given twenty-four hours, it is likely that thousands of unwarranted medical interventions, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, are being ordered within our nursing homes’ populations for the sake of convenience and a host of other self-serving agendas having nothing whatsoever to do with the patients’ needs or best interests.
---Alan D. Cato MD, F.A.A.F.P. (past) and author of The Medical Profession Is Dead and the Doctor Is “Critically ill!” (Oct., 2010)

Alan D. Cato MD of IN 1:22PM September 30, 2011

hospitalizations for urinary infections, pneumonia or dehydration - conditions that usually can be treated in a nursing home.
Here is the rub, in my opinion. Assisted Living facilities in this country are caring for these residents and SHOULD NOT BE. I worked in a unit like this in assisted living for five years. Assisted Living is not equipped or trained to handle this population and ALs are making a bundle while not educating staff. Assisted Livingk, unlike nursing home, cannot (by state regulations) care for those with UTIs, dehydration, wounds, or pneumonia. Here's where legislation needs to start - Assisted Living facilities should NOT be allowed to care for Alzheimer's patients. States need to change regulations if ALs are to continue to provide this service - RNs to run the facility, - make it the same as nursing home regs. I would NEVER put my loved one with Alzheimer's in an Assisted Living facility.

jimmie of KY 10:33AM September 29, 2011