Jonathan Rosenfeld's Nursing Homes Abuse Blog : Jonathan Rosenfeld's Nursing Homes Abuse Blog | Lawyer & Attorney : Strellis & Field Law Firm | Bed Sores, Senior Neglect, Elder Abuse, Sexual Abuse: Chicago, Illinois

A new study published in Health Affairs concluded Hispanics are more likely to live in bad nursing homes than other demographics.  After analyzing data from predominately Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic nursing homes, the studies leader Mary Fennell, a professor of sociology and community health at Brown University, believes the data conclusively demonstrates that Hispanics live in inferior nursing homes.

Amongst the studies findings:

• 4.5 million elderly Hispanics require nursing home care in 2010
• From 2000 - 2005, the percentage of Hispanic nursing home patients increased from 5% to 6.4% of the total nursing home population
• Most of the Hispanic patients in nursing homes had already endured prior hospitalizations and require high-level care

One of the reasons the study suggests for the increase in Hispanic nursing home patients is that many of the predominately female care-givers now work outside of the home.  

Whatever the underlying reason for the increase in Hispanic nursing home patients, I strongly believe that all nursing home patients are entitled to the best care that is feasible.  

As a personal injury lawyer in Chicago, I unfortunately see many minorities flocking to inferior nursing homes because they are conveniently located within the confines of their neighborhood. Consequently, I always suggest that families should select a facility based on the quality of the services they provide over the convenience of its location.

Read more about this study of Hispanic nursing home patients here.

Related:

Nursing Homes With Higher Percentage Of Hispanic Residents Have Higher Rate Of Bed Sores

Blacks Receive Inferior Care At Most Nursing Homes

Attorney General Lays Out Guidelines For Selection Of Nursing Homes & Assisted Living Facilities

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A recent study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, “An Aging World: 2008”, predicts that by 2040, the 65-plus population worldwide will more than double, from about 506 million to 1.3 billion. 

In the course of thirty years, the percentage of older people in the world will double from seven to fourteen percent of the entire world population.  There is also an expected rise in the number of people 100 years or older (centenarians).  The global aging trend is caused by a pattern that is seen across the globe; the world population has been growing, coupled with a rising life expectancy in most areas.  This leads to increasingly large elderly population worldwide. 

 A growing elderly population means that the health care system needs to adapt to changing and increasing health care needs.  In addition, more people are not having children (childlessness could soon reach 20% in the United States).  This leaves more elderly people who don’t have families to help take care of them, leaving assisted nursing home facilities to provide additional services.  In the next ten years, the number of people older than 65 might be more than the number of children under five for the first time ever.

The global aging trend presents both social and economic challenges for most areas of the world.  The fastest growth of the older population is occurring in developing countries, where it has more than doubled the growth rate of the older population in developed countries.  The older elderly (aged 80 and older) are the fastest growing portion of the total population in many countries. 

The United States’ system of nursing home facilities is already strained.  Many facilities provide inadequate or improper care to their residents.  With increased nursing home populations, these problems and shortcomings might become worse as facilities struggle to provide basic care to all residents. 

Resources:

Naples News - Study: Older Population Expected to Double as Life Expectancy Increases

NIH News - Unprecedented Global Aging Examined in New Census Bureau Report Commissioned by the National Institute on Aging 

U.S. Census - An Aging World: 2008

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