News Article

DOH Report Identifies Residents at Increased Risk of Discharge from Nursing Homes

December 01, 2022

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services used Medicare data to identify certain characteristics or risk factors that placed nursing home residents at an increased risk of discharge. 

These characteristics included:

• Residents with severe behavioral symptoms.
• Residents with psychiatric and mood disorders. 
• Residents with impairments that required more staff time. 
• Residents transitioning to Medicaid.

Residents with these risk factors were more likely to be discharged from for-profit nursing homes. 

This report confirms what residents and advocates have learned from experience: residents with medical conditions that require increased care are often at greater risk of being discharged from nursing homes. Importantly, the report notes that all of the health conditions that place residents at an increased risk of discharge are conditions nursing homes are required to treat. 

Read Consumer Voice's summary of the DOH report and also access information and resources on nursing home discharge.