Elder Law

Nursing Homes Being Filled With Younger Residents

By Levin & Perconti

CBS News reported today on the details surrounding new data which shows that more and more people under 65 years old are living in our nation?s nursing homes.

About in on in seven nursing home residents in the U.S. is now under the age of 65 according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The younger residents often face unique health challenges and quality of life concerns.

For example, one 26 year old resident interviewed for the story has been living in a nursing home since last year after a gun accident left him paralyzed. The young resident explained that it was very lonely at the facility where the vast majority of residents are elderly retirees. The nursing home presents the lone option for the young man to get care. His father is on the road as a truck driver and his mother is sick with lupus. Medicare payments are the only way he is currently able to survive.

Some facilities that have a larger population of younger residents are able to make improvements that help raise their quality of life. Replacing bingo night with poker games, allowing younger residents to share rooms, and similar changes often have a big impact of resident happiness.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on January 07, 2011 (boomark / email).