OIG Report Flags SNF Discharge Patterns’ Impact On At-Risk Residents

The HHS Office of Inspector General released a report highlighting concerns that nursing home residents with endangering behaviors, many of whom are diagnosed with mental health disorders and are long-term residents, may be especially vulnerable to facility-initiated discharges. OIG says CMS and state long-term care ombudsman have been flagging concerns about the extent to which nursing homes are following the federal protocol for discharging patients. Facility-initiated discharges that don’t follow federal regulations can be unsafe and traumatic, OIG says, which...