Dudensing Law Applauds U.S. Senators for Letter to Nursing Home Industry Executives
September 19, 2024
Originally published by
dudensinglaw.com
This week, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Bernie Sanders, and Jan Schakowsky issued a letter to the CEOs of three of the largest for-profit nursing homes in the U.S., urging them to end their opposition to the Biden-Harris Administration’s nursing home staffing rule. The Senators highlighted the staggering executive compensation in these companies, revealing that top executives were paid nearly $70 million in 2023 while opposing staffing standards aimed at improving care for residents. Ed Dudensing, Founder of Dudensing Law, recently authored a column in the Daily Journal closely related to this important issue, titled “Why litigation is necessary to hold private equity accountable for elder abuse.”
“Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Sanders, and Schakowsky are shining a much-needed light on the greed that is undermining the safety and dignity of nursing home residents,” said Ed Dudensing, founder of Dudensing Law. “We fully support their efforts to hold these for-profit nursing homes accountable. At Dudensing Law, we have seen firsthand the devastating impact that inadequate staffing can have on vulnerable residents.”
Dudensing Law has seen a growing number of elder abuse cases tied directly to the influence of private equity in the elder care sector. As private equity firms prioritize profit over care, many nursing homes are left severely understaffed, compromising the quality of care for vulnerable residents. This shift has led to a troubling rise in cases of neglect, inadequate medical attention, and abuse, as nursing home operators cut corners through understaffing to maximize returns, putting elderly residents at greater risk.
The Senators’ letter exposed the fact that despite industry claims of insufficient funds to meet staffing requirements, these companies have spent millions on executive salaries and stock buybacks. From 2018 to 2022, the three nursing home corporations collectively paid out over $650 million to executives and shareholders while continuing to oppose the proposed staffing rule, which is projected to save 13,000 lives annually. The letter emphasized the dangerous gap between these financial decisions and the quality of care provided to nursing home residents.
Earlier this year, Ed Dudensing published an op-ed in Healthcare Dive in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s nursing home staffing rule, titled “The Senate can protect the elderly by supporting nursing home staffing regulations — not overturning them.”
Read Ed Dudensing’s op-ed in Healthcare Dive here.
Read the Senators’ letter here.