The Brian Center Health and Rehabilitation nursing home has lost its ability to collect reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid due to multiple incidents involving resident elopement, according to a Salisbury Post article. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid terminated government payments to the facility because a demented resident was allowed to exit the nursing home through an emergency exit door.
Security Failures Abound
The supposed emergency exit was not locked and its alarm was not functioning. Apparently, janitorial staff propped the door open and deactivated the alarm in order to move in furniture. It is unclear how long the fire door was inoperable and unlocked. However, Brian Center nurses only learned that the confused resident was missing after someone called from a neighboring apartment complex to report a visibly confused elderly person that seemed lost.
Prior Problems in this Nursing Home Solidified Medicare’s Decision to Pull Funding
Shockingly, a Brian Center nursing home resident eloped from a facility window earlier this year in February. The facility has also faced violations and fines for noncompliance and sexual abuse in the nursing home.
What is Elopement in a Nursing Home Setting?
Elopement is the official title given to a confused resident exiting the facility without proper supervision. Many residents that suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease reside in locked nursing home wings. This is for their own safety, as they are unable to leave the facility unattended. When a confused resident exits the nursing home without authorization or help from staff, the government calls this a nursing home elopement.
Why Does Medicare Money Matter to Nursing Homes?
Almost every nursing home resident in the US is on Medicare, Medicaid, or both. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services terminates its funding of a facility, this usually is a death sentence to the nursing home. As of this posting, the Brian Center nursing home appears to remain open for business.
