Nursing home charges for briefs

[pb4uski]

I'm the legal guardian for my great aunt and handle her financial affairs. Her nursing home bills include charges for "briefs" (diapers). The contract between her and the nursing home has a per diem rate and an attachment of certain costs that are outside the per diem rate as follows:

• Physician services and fees.
• Medication and pharmaceutical services.
• Dry cleaning.
• Laboratory services.
• X ray services.
• Oxygen services.
• Ambulance and other transportation services to and from the Facility
• Physical therapy, speech therapy, and related consultation.
• Psychiatric consultations and all psychiatric treatment.
• Dental, podiatry and optometry treatment and consultation.
• Expenses incurred in connection with recreational activities
• Certain specialized equipment
• Non emergency oxygen or oxygen therapy.
• Occupational therapy, including evaluation and special equipment.
• Non routine medical supplies ordered by a physician
• Private Telephone
• Personal Television
• Beautician/Barber

I'm questioning them charging her separately for briefs. The person I am dealing with insists that separate charges for briefs is standard practice.

Anyone out there pay for nursing home bills and have separate charges for briefs?

 

[KB]

When my Dad was paying my aunt's bills in an Altzheimers unit, her account was billed separately for adult incontinence items. They billed as needed so over time the cost increased and was a regular expense.

 

[Moemg]

When my Mom was in a nursing home for three months after an injury we had to either provide depends or pay for them.

 

[Brat]

My Mom's nursing home too. We ended up buying them at Costco or when caught short at the nearby Walgreen's.

The adult diapers the nh had available weren't top quality and they were more expensive. Buy a small quanity for her initially to determine what size and type works best. Large & extra large women's Depends can be ordered on line at Costco.

Make sure that they do not use her diapers on other patients.

 

[MichaelB]

My experience with family in assisted living and nursing homes is the same as the other responses. We bought at Target or Costco.

 

[JakeBrake]

When my mother was in an assisted living facility, I had to furnish adult diapers. When we moved her to a nursing home, the nursing home furnished the diapers. She was in assisted living/nursing for five years.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but the assisted living facility did not accept Medicaid patients. The nursing home had many Medicaid patients. my mother was not on Medicaid.

 

[braumeister]

When my mom was in assisted living, they asked me whether I wanted to supply such items or have them provide them. In most cases, their cost was lower than what I found at local retail, so I let them do it. Charging for this sort of thing (routine non-medical supplies) is common.

 

[Dawg52]

My old company sold many different products to hospitals and nursing homes, one being adult diapers. We shipped boxes of diapers all over town to patients at nursing homes. And they were billed to the patient or a family member.

 

[Col. Klink]

Paying for Briefs

I am a nursing home administrator. Here in Connecticut it is not standard practice to have private pay residents pay for briefs. The only items that are charged separately from the per diem rate are pharmaceuticals (which are generally covered under Medicare part D) or the residents Managed Medicare plan, cable television, and a private phone if one is requested.

Bear in mind that Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facility (Convalescent Care Nursing Home - CCNH) are two distinctly different services within the elder continuum of care. A nursing home is licensed as a medical facility. An AL is not. At the AL you contract with the facilities Assisted Living Service Association (ALSA) for the ala carte medical services you wish to receive. You provide your own briefs, etc at the AL.

You should review the admissions agreement that you signed for any schedule of ancillary charges.

 

[pb4uski]

I am a nursing home administrator. Here in Connecticut it is not standard practice to have private pay residents pay for briefs. The only items that are charged separately from the per diem rate are pharmaceuticals (which are generally covered under Medicare part D) or the residents Managed Medicare plan, cable television, and a private phone if one is requested.

Bear in mind that Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facility (Convalescent Care Nursing Home - CCNH) are two distinctly different services within the elder continuum of care. A nursing home is licensed as a medical facility. An AL is not. At the AL you contract with the facilities Assisted Living Service Association (ALSA) for the ala carte medical services you wish to receive. You provide your own briefs, etc at the AL.

You should review the admissions agreement that you signed for any schedule of ancillary charges.

I'm in the northeast as well, so perhaps some of the other responses reflect regional differences. This is a nursing home, not assisted living. The schedule of ancillary charges are what is in my original post, verbatim. The items you listed are the types of things that I would expect would be separate charges.

 

[MichaelB]

I'm in the northeast as well, so perhaps some of the other responses reflect regional differences. This is a nursing home, not assisted living. The schedule of ancillary charges are what is in my original post, verbatim. The items you listed are the types of things that I would expect would be separate charges.

Excellent clarification by Col Klink. I think the diffence in my previous response is not due to regional factors, mostly our experience is assisted living, where the resident is responsible for providing many of their individual needs.