Do Nursing Homes Discriminate Against the O.?

 The other night when I was talking to Don about Judy's recovery progress in the nursing home she is in, I asked him why she was at the one in Kerrville, rather than the one he wanted to put her in there in Bandera, near their home.   Now he has to drive almost 100 miles one-way just to visit her. 

  Don told me that the nursing home in Bandera refused to accept Judy, b/c of her weight.      Although she has apparentlly not been weighed, either at the hospital that did her Chiari Malf. surgery or LifeCare afterward, I would estimate her weight at between 225 and 250 lbs..   She has been steady in that range following the "honeymoon" of her VBG surgery almost 7 years ago.  Admittedly, as a pre-PSer, she has a LOT of loose skin (having started off @ 500+ lbs.), esp. on her lower abdomen, buttocks and thighs, but still her weight is below 250 lbs.

   I can't believe that a nursing home would feel that a person of 225-250 lbs. would be "too big" for their facility, given how "large" the average American has become of late.  I have seen many seniors that well exceed that poundage.

   Does it sound like something else is going on here, or is that a legit "no go"?      Would it do any good to see if her health insurer would get involved to help get her into the Bandera home?    
 

this might be a long post   when i was young and weight was306 lbs  a nsg home closed  so our home went to obtain some  of  the Pt's.   you could not tell  me iwas obese at that time because i was 100 percent functional any way the head idiot  in charge told  me to get the  money Pt's. we had to take people  that he did not  want  which   being  young i did not realize  he was talking  about me  too   this  idiot was prejudice  against  the following people obese   people of other sex    also  black and white relationships   he fire  my friend because she would not join the Klan   what he did not know  was 6 of that worked together were  also roommates so we called  the next day and quit it was the  talk of the nursing community  my boss  had this surgery  in 1990 and told me off  the record why i did not get a high position i saw it my whole 36 yrs  of nursing  the head people  the staff  neglecting us  i had a physical fight  when i caught one of my staff putting someone obese food  in the trash  in stead of  firing her  i was24 i beat  her ass  and put myself in anger management my boss did not fire or do anything to me they are dis ruminating  against  an obese  person  in some nsg home as i write this my36yrs of experience will prove  this is why  do not put your family there and do not visit   only one person makes it bad for those of us that are real and care

Yes it is legitimate.  I see it every day.  I am a consultant in long term care and have witnessed this very same thing.  Many insurance policies do not cover long term care.  Nursing homes will say it is for other reasons such as no payor source or unable to meet their needs.  Sometimes this is true but oftentimes it is because the home is so understaffed they cannot care for someone heavier or they do not have equipment to weigh, bathe, get up, etc.  It is unfortunate but true. 

They also say  it is because chairs, beds, etc.  must be purchased to fit an obese patient. 
Sad but true.

Missy