Larry Boswell sat slumped in a
wheelchair. His sweatpants were soiled, his T-shirt soaked in
saliva. Flies buzzed around his head.
He was able to walk when he arrived at Illinois’ Cobden
Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in 2008, government records
show, something he can’t manage now. Speech therapy for the 57-
year-old ended shortly after he was admitted, according to a
lawyer trying to persuade Medicaid to transfer him. While much of what Boswell says is incomprehensible, he managed a clear “no” when asked if he wanted to stay where he was. Cobden officials didn’t respond to telephone calls.
Boswell is one of nearly 244,000 brain-injured people consigned to nursing homes, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from U.S. Medicare and Medicaid statistics. He’s also on the front line in a national battle to get people like him out of facilities that aren’t equipped to care for them.
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