Nursing homes' funding, care should be linked

To the editor:

In your recent article, U.S. Senate candidate Jim Talent proposed spending more taxpayer dollars on nursing homes. However, he made no mention of requiring accountability for the actual care nursing homes are providing. Thousands of Missouri's helpless, elderly and disabled residents are living in nursing homes that have been cited for abuse and neglect.

Facilities have over and over received increases in their Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements and even windfall payments, yet the instances of injuries, rapes, beatings, maggots and malnutrition continue. How would more money for those businesses bring about improved care? What assurances can Talent make for greater resident safety? The government has failed to protect so many helpless residents in the past. What plan does Talent have to change this in the future?

Government's payments should reflect the quality of care each facility is providing, and poorly performing facilities should not be rewarded with more money for their negligent actions. Open competition would reward efficiency and encourage improved care, since reputation would be valued. Consumers should have more choices in both types of services and operators.

JANET CLAYTON

Neosho, Mo.