Kitty Wright, 92, was a resident of Goldfinch House, a nursing home in Bridgeton, New Jersey, in 2007. She developed an infection and had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation. When it was time for Ms. Wright to come home, the facility refused to accept her.
Without ever evaluating Ms. Wright's condition, the facility alleged she was a fall risk and would not let her come home. She went to Salem County Nursing & Convalescent Home and died five months later. Her niece, Karen Barry, said that Ms. Wright was very unhappy prior to her death. Wright had depleted her life savings of $111,000 in less than three years at Goldfinch House and was moving to Medicaid, which reimbursed less. Barry said, "It was okay for her to be a fall risk on private funds, but not OK for her to be a fall risk on Medicaid funds."
Joan Kohlbrenner moved to Granville House, an assisted living facility in Burlington Township, New Jersey and thought she would spend the rest of her life there. The facility assured her that once her savings were depleted that she could apply for Medicaid and remain at the facility. Now, after three years and more than $100,000, Ms. Kohlbrenner faces possible eviction from the facility because the facility is no longer accepting Medicaid residents.
These families are not alone. According to a state study, dozens of residents have been forced to move from the eight New Jersey facilities run by Assisted Living Concepts once they converted to Medicaid. The company changed its policy when it was purchased in 2006, but according to the report compiled by the state Public Advocate's office, "facility administrators inexplicably continued to reassure residents and their families over the next two years that conversion (to Medicaid) would occur - causing them to spend even more of their dwindling resources - only to find that the facility (would) not allow conversion."
Assisted Living Concepts operates 216 assisted-living facilities in 20 states with the capacity of more than 9,000 residents. The company's decision to evict residents converting to Medicaid has caused problems nationwide.
On Thursday, April 16, 2009, New Jersey State Public Advocate's Ronald Chen said, "The bottom line is that ALC pursued a policy of keeping elderly residents until they drained their life savings - and they did it as part of a corporate strategy designed to extract the company from doing business with Medicaid and to drive out low and moderate income residents."
State officials are fighting to keep residents in facilities. Assisted Living Concepts was fined $66,000 by the Department of Health and Human Services for trying to evict Lille Hitchner from Lindsay House in Pennsville, New Jersey once she converted to Medicaid. The fine was only lifted after the company agreed to let her stay. The state Department of Health and Senior Services has vowed to fine the company again if they attempt to discharge a resident due to Medicaid converstion.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit us at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
