ST. LOUIS — It's a crisis that's been brewing for years. But now, Missouri Representative Crystal Quade is taking a stand. Her newly proposed legislation, House Bill 2740, aims to close loopholes in Missouri's nursing home industry, holding facilities more accountable.
"This bill, at its essence, is about taking the steps necessary to end the crisis facing so many Missouri families," said Quade (D-132nd district) during a press conference.
"Nursing homes are being bought by venture capitalists and other out-of-state interests. They are stripping away assets from homes, decreasing staff to resident ratios, and moving money to their other businesses," said Lenny Jones, Missouri State Director of SEIU Healthcare.
This all comes after the closure of Northview Village. The nursing home suddenly closed in late December without giving any notice. Families were left in the dark, unsure of where their loved ones would go. Workers were left without a job.
"But, you know, just to witness all of that hurt, it's just so devastating. And we want to prevent that from ever happening again because our health care workers do not deserve that," said Ashley Mosley, a St. Louis health care worker.
Since the abrupt closure of Northview Village, the I-Team has been asking why. The I-Team uncovered shocking revelations about staffing levels and patient care in the industry. National rules propose minimum one-on-one care hours, yet many facilities fall short. House Bill 2740 seeks to remedy this by mandating minimum staffing requirements and implementing more regular inspections by state health officials.
"It's about holding those who refuse to do better accountable for putting profit over its patients," Quade said.
The I-Team also discovered a lack of financial transparency with how nursing homeowners spend taxpayer money. Despite a government official acknowledging the issue, industry experts tell us more financial oversight is essential. We pressed for answers.
"What about financial scrutiny? Who's taking a look at where the money's going?" asked Senior Investigative Reporter Paula Vasan.
"Yeah, I think that's absolutely a piece of this conversation that we need to be doing," Quade said.
When asked why financial scrutiny isn't part of the legislation, Quade said, "We wanted to get something and as fast as we can. We know that that is a huge problem too."
As families continue to grapple with the consequences of Missouri's nursing home crisis, one thing is clear: more accountability and financial transparency are needed. House Bill 2740 represents a step forward, but only time will tell if it's enough to bring about the change the industry needs. Nursing home resident advocates tell us that for any reforms to be effective, financial transparency and accountability must be included.
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