Seniors for Sale

Exploiting the aged and frail in Washington’s adult family Homes – Three part Series by the Seattle Times

Hospitals care for hundreds of Medicaid patients per year others won’t take

Seattle Times investigation has found 2,025 cases of Medicaid Patients who no longer needed hospitalizaton but remained in hospital rooms for a month or longer because nursing homes or other facilities wouldn’t take them.  The $461 million in expenses are passed on as higher health-care costs, to read the article click on Hospitals care for hundreds of Medicaid patients

Part 1 -The Owners, With few rules and state support, a growing home-care industry finds it easy to exploit Washington’s aged, click on The Owners

Part 2 -The Homes, A home stays open, despite a death, a decade of neglect, and inspector’s attempts to shut it down, click on The Homes

Part 3 – The Exodus, The state saves tens of millions by emptying nursing homes but the frail can get hurt, click on The Exodus

About the Series

“Seniors for Sale” is the first comprehensive accounting of Washington’s adult family homes.  Seattle Times reporter Michael J. Berens interviewed more than 250 people, including adult-family-home owners, residents and their families, industry experts, state and federal regulators and law-enforcement officials, About the Series

Contact

“Seniors for Sale” is an ongoing series.  The Seattle Times will continue to report on problems faced by the aged and medically fragile who rely on adult family homes.  Please send your comments and story ideas to reporter Michael J. Berens at mberens@seattletimes.com or (206)464-2288  Letters or documents can be mailed to him at: Michael J. Berens, The Seattle Times, 1120 John St., Seattle, WA 98109