Complete list of bad nursing homes should be made public according to U.S. Senators
In November 2007, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a list of the 54 worst nursing homes in America. The list of the poorest performing homes was pulled from a complete report containing 128 “special focus facilities,” which are subject to more frequent inspections and scrutiny by regulators due to their history of bad care. However, the government has refused to release the full list despite criticism from nursing home advocates and several U.S. Senators.
>>PRIOR POST 12/10/2007: Bad Nursing Home List
Federal legislation has been introduced by Senators Hillary Clinton and Tom Harkins, which would require the government to release the names of any homes which appear on the full list of special focus facilities within 30 days of their name appearing. The Nursing Home Quality and Transparency Act was proposed to ensure that the public has access to information about all nursing homes which have been designated as providers of bad care.
Making the complete list of bad nursing homes available is extremely important to seniors and their loved ones who are making decisions about nursing home care. Nine other U.S. Senators, including Sen. Barack Obama, sent a letter demanding that the complete list of bad nursing homes be made public. The letter indicated that it was “outrageous” for the government to keep the full list from citizens who would most benefit from the information.
Identifying all 128 of the poor performing nursing homes in the United States would not only help those considering where to obtain long-term care, but it would also serve as an important catalyst to improve the quality of nursing home care. Subjecting the other 74 poor performing nursing homes to the same public scrutiny faced by the 54 worst nursing homes will encourage improvements and challenge the industry to do a better job policing themselves.
Despite the pressure from U.S. Senators, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues to indicate that they have no intentions of making the full list available to the public. However, they have acknowledged that the report was given to industry lobbyists at the American Health Care Association, as well as to the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, which is a trade group funded by the nursing home industry. In a statement last month, Clinton indicated that it was “disturbing” that the government would withhold the full list from the public while providing it to industry lobbyists.
NURSING HOME LAWYERS
The nursing home lawyers at Saiontz, Kirk & Miles, P.A. represent victims of abuse and neglect which is caused by bad nursing home care. When facilities are consistently falling in and out of compliance with federal regulations designed to ensure proper care, residents are put at risk of serious and potentially fatal injuries from nursing home neglect. If your friend or loved one has suffered an injury which may be the result of negligent care, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
