Investigation: Greed over care at US nursing homes

+ latest of the TikTok ban US Edition - Today's top story: For-profit nursing homes are cutting corners on safety and draining resources with financial shenanigans − especially at midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Move over pizza rat, Philly’s mice are built for city living]( - [What a brouhaha over burger prices at Wendy’s reveals]( - [Podcast: Conspiracy theories help keep Putin in power]( Lead story As part of a [four-month investigation](, The Conversation has uncovered significant abuse and neglect of elderly Americans at midsize nursing home chains. These chains, which each operate between 11 and 100 facilities across the U.S., are among the worst in the industry – with the fastest rising number of government fines and patient lawsuits. Operating under poorly enforced regulations and insignificant penalties, these for-profit companies foster an environment where churn is rife and corners are frequently cut, endangering patient health. All the while, the owners siphon off money through a byzantine series of interconnected corporations. The investigation – by reporter Sean Campbell and Charlene Harrington, a renowned expert on nursing homes at the University of California, San Francisco – [reveals an industry]( that places a premium on big profits at the expense of staffing and quality; it exposes how America is failing its most vulnerable citizens, all to bloat the bottom line of for-profit nursing homes. [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Kurt Eichenwald Senior Investigative Editor The for-profit nursing home sector is growing, while placing a premium on cost cutting and big profits. picture alliance via Getty Images [For-profit nursing homes are cutting corners on safety and draining resources with financial shenanigans − especially at midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny]( Sean Campbell, The Conversation; Charlene Harrington, University of California, San Francisco Owners of midsize nursing home chains drain billions from facilities, hiding behind opaque accounting practices and harming the elderly as government, which has the power to stop it, falls short. - [How for-profit nursing home regulators can use the powers they already have to fix growing problems with poor-quality care]( Charlene Harrington, University of California, San Francisco Governments can do more to protect patients at for-profit nursing homes. 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But image editing is increasingly common, and your phone can even do it without you knowing. Podcast 🎙️ - [How conspiracy theories help to maintain Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation Russian disinformation expert Ilya Yablokov tells The Conversation Weekly podcast about the president’s shifting relationship with conspiracy theories. Trending on site - [Putin has no successor, no living rivals and no retirement plan – why his eventual death will set off a vicious power struggle]( - [Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores]( - [Despite its big night at the Oscars, ‘Oppenheimer’ is a disappointment and a lost opportunity]( Today's graphic 📈 [A map of the United States with each state color-coded according to how their secretary of state is chosen. In 31 states, the secretary of state is the chief election official and is chosen by a statewide election. In seven states, the secretary of state is the chief election official and is chosen by the governor or the legislature. In 12 states and the District of Columbia, the secretary of state is not the chief election official.]( From the story, [What does a state’s secretary of state do? Most run elections, a once-routine job facing increasing scrutiny]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. 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