Industry lobbying left nursing homes vulnerable
The nursing home industry has fought legislative efforts to improve staffing, spending millions in lobbying money to prevent reform.
This story was originally published on The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. Published in collaboration with the Investigative Reporting Workshop.
Even before COVID-19, aides caring for elderly and disabled people in nursing homes often were overworked and underpaid, doing everything from changing linens to helping residents eat to physically rotating them to prevent bed sores.
Ashley Ford often was one of four aides for as many as 42 residents at the Indiana nursing home where she’s worked since early 2019. She sometimes skipped breaks when work got busy so she wouldn’t leave patients waiting.
