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Typical nursing home got seven health, safety citations in 2007
By Kevin Freking
Associated Press
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The typical nursing home was cited for seven health and safety deficiencies last year, with for-profit homes more likely to have problems than facilities run by local governments or non-profits, federal investigators said Monday.

More than 90 percent of nursing homes surveyed were cited for at least one deficiency last year - a rate that has changed little over the past three years. About 94 percent of the for-profit homes surveyed generated a citation, compared to 91 percent for government nursing homes and 88 percent for non-profits, said the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The most common deficiencies centered on quality of care. That category includes such things as the appropriate treatment to prevent and treat pressure sores and urinary tract infections. The most common quality-of-life deficiencies involved housekeeping and maintenance problems. Another common problem involved meals, with 43 percent of homes cited for problems with dietary services.

The inspector general's findings were included Monday in a memorandum to Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

CMS officials said an increase in the number of deficiencies occurred as a result of more vigorous enforcement and inspections. As a result, an uptick in the number of deficiencies found can occur even in homes where care is improving, said CMS spokesman Jeff Nelligan.

About one in five homes surveyed last year were cited for the immediate jeopardy of patients or actual harm. Usually, the problem was isolated rather than a pattern or widespread, the inspector general said.

The percentage of nursing homes surveyed with deficiencies ranged from 76 percent in Rhode Island to 100 percent in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Idaho and Wyoming.

Even though inspections generated more citations last year, the number of substantiated complaints decreased slightly compared to 2005. About four in 10 complaints were substantiated.

States that participate in Medicare and Medicaid must meet certain federal requirements. States conduct unannounced surveys at least every 15 months to determine whether those requirements are being met. Inspectors conduct reviews of patient medical records and plans of care. They also observe facility operations and interview residents and their family.

The inspector general did not make any recommendations in the report.

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Reader comments on this story - 3 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

sweet_gridle wrote on Oct 1, 2008 3:08 PM:

" I am here to tell you first hand that this goes on in every nursing home. Residents are NOT taken care of the way they should be. How do I know? I work in one and see first hand how things are done. Even turning aids in when you see them doing soemthing they shouldn't still doesn't help because the homes can't afford to fire anyone due to lack of aids in America. They can't keep them staffed. People don't want to do the work for the pay. I love my job becaue I love the residents. They are human beings and I treat them as I would my own family. I love hearing their stories, seeing their smiles, and even the grumpy ones can bring a smile. I wish there were more "good" people out there who loved them as much as I do and would be employed for the job and not the pay. Unfortunately we need to survive and so people go elsewhere. Nursing is really a rewarding job and residents deserve to be treated with respect and with dignity. "

Truth wrote on Sep 30, 2008 10:41 AM:

" It's very scary and sad... No wonder so many don't want to get old because if/when you do and you can't take care of yourself and have to have someone else do it for you.... "

WorkinTheOpinionBoard wrote on Sep 30, 2008 8:36 AM:

" Um, seems like Alaska, along with some other states need improving. These people in the nursing homes are our parents, our grandparents, husbands, and wives! Treat them with respect and dignity owed them. "
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