Lawmakers must act as some in older generation struggle with homelessness

Public officials well aware of Ohio's problems with a shortage of accessible, affordable housing might not be aware of a growing problem related to that challenge. Nursing homes are sending patients to homeless shelters at a growing rate. A Signal Ohio report earlier this month looked at nursing homes transferring "older, poorer and medically fragile" patients to homeless shelters. In fact, seven nursing home facilities in Ohio have been faulted in the past few years for efforts to dump patients into homeless shelters. Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Columbus caught one patient drinking beer at her residence, which prompted an involuntary discharge. According to an investigation, staff there tried to get her into rehabilitation for substance use, but no beds were immediately available. So, staff at a homeless shelter soon found the woman with her walker, carrying "a large bag of medications," incontinent, diabetic, managing a tibia fracture and alcohol-related dementia, federal inspectors said. "The staff member (said) Resident #83 was unclear of what was going on, scared, and not sure who dropped her off there," inspectors for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, wrote in 2023. Chip Wilkins, leader of Dayton's Long Term Care Ombudsman program, noted this is not an isolated incident. "We are starting to deal with it more and more. The facilities are so closely monitored on discharges, but yet they still try and send them to hospitals and not take them back. Or drop them off at homeless shelters," he said. And, he said there has been an increase in such incidents in recent months. This is a problem for the nursing homes, for hospitals, for homeless shelters — and most importantly, for the patients. But the question is how does Ohio solve it? "This issue has been growing as more residents face unstable housing," said Scott Wiley, CEO of the Ohio Health Care Association. "State oversight and resources are needed to help tackle the issue on a larger scale to find meaningful, long-term solutions for Ohioans who struggle with homelessness. It will require a collaborative approach that a single nursing facility provider is not equipped to manage on their own." Other factors include the shortage of ombudsmen and other supports for those without a family safety net to rely on. Lawmakers who have understandably focused on doing better for our youngest Ohioans must extend their attention to another generation no less deserving of our help.