Baby boomer values drive growth in nursing home litigation.(Litigator Charles Huber, a partner in Seattle office of Lane Powell)(Interview)

The graying of America has for some years been a multifaceted saga with Social Security debates the loudest front-page fixation. But consider another time bomb--nursing homes, which cannot be defused by simply reallocating tax revenue or raising new revenue.

The nursing home profession has seen spikes in litigation that will affect elder care at every socio-economic level. The worst-case scenario is a wholesale flight by providers unless fair standards are better defined and client expectations somehow managed more realistically.

Litigator Charles Huber, a partner in the Seattle office of Lane Powell PC, spoke to Of Counsel about today's problems and tomorrow's.

Of Counsel: Do you foresee further increase in nursing home litigation in 2006? Why? What is driving the litigation?

Huber: We do anticipate that the increase in litigation brought against nursing homes to continue to grow in 2006.

There are several factors driving this. The first is the aging population. Baby boomers' parents are at, or are reaching, the age when they may need long-term care or reside either temporarily or permanently in a nursing home. While the generation …