Date: September 13, 2011By: Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

In a new report released by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation, southern states are shown to lag far behind in providing reasonably priced, high-quality long-term care support services for the elderly. The State Long-Term Services and Supports Scorecard (LTSS) shows a high concentration of southeastern states fall into the bottom quartile (bottom 25%). States occupying the bottom quartile are Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, New York, and Nevada. This trend is believed to be because these states have many of the lowest median incomes and highest rates of both poverty and disability in the country. 

States in the scorecard were ranked by experts in four different categories: (1) affordability and access; (2) choice of setting and provider; (3) quality of life and quality of care; and (4) support for family caregivers. Georgia ranked in the third quartile for the first category, the bottom quartile in the second category, the third quartile in the third category, and the second quartile in the fourth category. Overall, Georgia was ranked 42nd in the country. Georgia’s neighbors are also ranked unfavorably, with Alabama ranked 50th, Florida ranked 44th, South Carolina ranked 38th, Mississippi ranked 51st (Washington, DC is included), and Tennessee ranked 45th.  

According to the study, it is estimated that if Georgia improved to the level of the best-performing state (Minnesota), 24,160 more low- or moderate-income adults age 21 and older with activity of daily living disabilities would be covered by Medicaid, 6,214 more new users of Medicaid LTSS would first receive services in home and community based settings instead of nursing homes, 4,052 nursing home residents with low care needs would instead be able to receive LTSS in the community, and 3,112 unnecessary hospitalizations of people in nursing homes would be avoided.

Long-term care patients are unique because they need almost constant attention, physically and mentally. Though this is what our loved ones deserve, it is not necessarily the treatment they receive. Studies have shown that between one and two million Americans over the age of 65 have been victims of abuse or neglect.  Research also indicates that only 1 in 14 incidents are brought to the attention of authorities. In order to receive the greatest possible outcome in a nursing home abuse case, quality legal representation is very important. If you have a loved one that you believe may be the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you may be able to pursue justice through a nursing home lawsuit. Contact a dedicated nursing home abuse attorney to see if your loved one is eligible to receive compensation for their pain and suffering and to help ensure that they receive the best quality future care possible. 

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Keywords: southern nursing homes, nursing homes in Georgia