Ohio nursing homes see spike in younger, mentally ill patients

The proportion of nursing home residents in Ohio who are under age 60 has jumped from 4 percent in 1994 to 16 percent in 2009, an unprecendented increase that is posing serious challenges for long-term care facilities in the state (Source: “Huge influx of mentally ill under 60 taxes nursing home care,” Dayton Daily News, Jan. 10, 2011).

According to Bob Applebaum, director of the Ohio Long-term Care Research Project at Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center, the sharp increase is attributable to a shift of the mentally ill from Ohio’s behavioral health support system to nursing homes. Mental health services have experienced a 30 percent reduction in state funding in recent years.