The New York Times recently published an article, “Confined to Nursing Homes, but Longing (and Ready) for Home”. The article provides several compelling examples of individuals who entered a nursing home because of an illness or traumatic event and then found it difficult to get back out (and some are still not out). One of these individuals is 29 years old; another, 32 years old. The article notes that over 1.4 million people reside in nursing homes, and federal data suggests about 155,000 of these have a low need for round-the-clock assistance. While significant data exists to support the contention that in-home services are less costly than institutional care, a number of factors conspire to keep people in facilities, despite the higher cost. Waiting lists for services, restrictions on the services (type and amount) that can be reimbursed by Medicaid, and the lack of affordable, accessible housing can all conspire to keep someone languishing in a nursing facility. The article continues with information about how various states are dealing with these issues, and what the federal government is doing to address the problem.
The article can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/us/nursing-homes-medicaid.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=2