What happens when the nursing home systems designed to care for our parents, our neighbors, and our own selves break down?
With 1.3 million Americans in nursing home care, 99 percent of facilities reporting staffing shortages, and patient costs now exceeding $120,000 annually, the gap between our values and our systems has never been wider-or more dangerous.
Whether you're an administrator navigating impossible decisions, a policymaker crafting legislation, or an investor evaluating opportunities in senior care, or an individual seeking the best possible care for a loved one-this book separates facts from fiction with unprecedented candor. Drawing on nearly fifty years of experience-from teenage housekeeper to C-suite executive, Dave Devereaux provides the insider perspective that industry professionals wish they could share publicly and that curious readers rarely get to see.
In Beyond Bedrails and Bingo, readers will:
Gain the historical context and systemic insights that explain the current state of America's nursing home industry and what it will take to move forward.Learn how nursing homes really work, what questions to ask, what to look for, and how to navigate this complex landscape when it matters most. Discover the human moments-what it's like in the room when difficult decisions are made, what families whisper in hallways, and what staff wish they could say.Each chapter concludes with "What You Can Do" sections that will give you expert-level guidance stemming from decades of working in the system.
Whether you're working to fix the system or simply need to understand it, the insights in these pages will change how you see America's nursing homes forever.