It’s All About The Money

by Colin G. Meeker, Attorney at Law

email: [email protected] :: office: 330.253.3337 :: mobile: 330.603.7173

On April 24, 2020, it was reported that some Ohio nursing homes are accepting sick COVID-19 patients from Ohio hospitals or from other states. As some states enable nursing homes to receive 15% more in reimbursements from Medicaid per patient, one must question the motives behind these nursing home decisions. A government official indicated that nursing homes are not equipped to act as hospitals; they should not be used as depositories for infected individuals. Mina Ebrahem, a nursing home physical therapist, stated, “Whoever made this decision, whoever did this, I consider this a sentence of death for all the older patients, whoever is in a nursing home.”   

As the number of COVID-19 cases skyrocket, we would like to send our prayers to everyone affected by the virus

Nursing Home Liability 

COVID-19 is new to the shores of America. However, the responsibility to plan, and then implement, an infection control program within a nursing home has been a requirement for many years. A nursing home should not wait for the State of Ohio to recommend, or even mandate, a certain procedure to safeguard its residents. An infection control plan, implemented by a nursing home’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program, should have, long before COVID-19 came to this country, been prepared for such an outbreak. If your loved one has become infected by COVID-19 while at a nursing home, and you question whether the facility was properly prepared for an outbreak, you should always speak with a COVID-19 attorney in your time of need.

Note: We have constructed this post using outside sources, including news bulletins and first-hand accounts from outside sources. The details concerning this accident have not been independently verified and so, if you have identified false information, please inform us immediately. We will adjust the post to reflect accurate content.
Disclaimer: At Blakemore, Meeker & Bowler Co., L.P.A., we are always looking to improve the quality and safety of our state and have been saddened by the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic across Ohio. We hope to inform those in our community about the outbreak in the hopes that those who are responsible for taking care of our elders will work to avoid unnecessary loss of life in the future. These posts are not to be taken as a solicitation for business. The information within should never be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. We hope that all involved in the Coronavirus epidemic will receive a speedy recovery.


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