Sadly, it is not a surprise that Lawrence Rehab and HCC/The Meadows was fined by the New Jersey Department of Health for inadequate staffing. More and more of New Jersey’s non-profit and for-profit skilled nursing facilities are being sold to private equity firms and LLCs. Many peer-reviewed academic studies, government reports, and media exposés have demonstrated that private equity owned nursing homes have lower staffing levels, lower quality ratings, more violations, and worse health outcomes for residents.
The closed-door New Jersey budget hearings are going on right now. Gov. [Phil] Murphy has earmarked $2.2 billion dollars to nursing homes in fiscal year 2025, $72 million more than in fiscal year 2024!
The New Jersey League of Women Voters wants accountability from the nursing home industry for these public dollars. We want the legislature to require consolidated, audited financial statements from the nursing home and their related companies to ensure that the bulk of those state dollars are spent on direct patient care to our most vulnerable residents and not siphoned off to their related companies.
The nursing home industry does not want any strings attached to those mega-dollars.
If you feel that the nursing home industry should be held accountable for these public dollars, a coalition of organizations headed by AARP-NJ is asking you to consider sending a message to the governor, Assembly Speaker [Craig] Coughlin and Sen. President [Nicholas] Scutari before it is too late. Takes only a minute at https://action.aarp.org/secure/nj-deserves-greater-nursing-home-accountability-and-transparency
Metta Cahill
League of Women Voters of Lawrence
