The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reveals a staggering majority91 percentof nursing homes across the country were cited for violating government health and safety standards in each of the past three years!
In the report, Trends in Nursing Home Deficiencies and Complaints, HHS Inspector General (IG) Daniel R. Levinson found that for-profit facilities had a higher percentage of violations than other nursing homes. The most common deficiency categories cited were:
- Quality of Careincludes treatment to prevent bed sores and urinary tract infections; also includes freedom from unnecessary medications and medication errors.
- Quality of Lifeincludes care that maintains or enhances dignity and provision of social services and a safe, clean homelike environment.
- Resident Behavior and Facility Practicesincludes freedom from discipline using chemical or physical restraints, and freedom from abuse, corporal punishment or involuntary seclusion.
Complaints may be lodged by nursing home residents, family members, staff and others. The IG report said state survey agencies must review all allegations.
Based on the outcome of this reviewthe survey agency may conduct a survey to investigate the allegation further. If a complaint is substantiated by this survey, the nursing home receives a citation of deficiency.
The IG report noted that in 2007, nearly 17 percent of the nursing homes surveyed received citations for immediate jeopardy or actual harm deficiencies. And nearly 4 percent were cited for substandard quality-of-care deficiencies.
Levinson noted that the total number of citations decreased nearly 3 percent since 2005. Of the nursing homes surveyed in Wyoming and Washington, D.C., 100 percent had deficiencies in each of the three years from 2005 to 2007. In Alaska, 100 percent of facilities surveyed received citations in 2006 and 2007.