SeniorTruth

The Government Accountability Office recently issued a troubling report titled “Efforts to Strengthen Federal Enforcement Have Not Deterred Some Homes from Repeatedly Harming Residents.” The report focused on 63 nursing home with past quality problems - located in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The GAO reports continuing failures by government regulators to improve bad nursing homes, stating “Despite changes in federal enforcement policy, almost half of the 63 homes we reviewed—homes with prior serious quality problems—continued to cycle in and out of compliance during fiscal years 2000 through 2005, causing harm to residents. These homes corrected deficiencies only temporarily and, despite having had sanctions implemented, were again found to be out of compliance, including 8 homes that cycled in and out of compliance 7 or more times. During this same time period, 27 of the 63 homes were cited 69 times for deficiencies that warranted immediate sanctions, but 15 of these cases did not result in immediate sanctions.”

For an online copy of the GAO report.