South Carolina Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

According to press reports, the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was to release a shocking report today, showing the results of their investigation of nursing homes. Of the nursing homes studied, over 90% had violated federal or state health & safety regulations. The results showed poor performance by for-profit, non-profit, and government-run nursing homes. Non-profits generally had the best performance among these groups, although their record is still appalling, at 88% of homes receiving citations for deficiencies.

Among the findings in the report: One in six nursing homes were so deficient that there was “actual harm or immediate jeopardy” to residents.

Of the greater than 37,000 complaints received by HHS in 2007, 39% were found to be substantiated. Of these, about one-fifth involved abuse or neglect of residents.

The rate of deficiencies varied by state, from 76% of nursing homes evaluated in Rhode Island to citations issued in 100% of evaluated homes in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and the District of Columbia. The Department identified 163 nursing homes that have a pattern of chronic deficiencies such that they will be under increased scrutiny.

A spokesman for the American Health Care Association, an industry group representing nursing homes, deflected criticism of nursing home compliance onto federal regulators, saying inspectors inconsistently interpreted regulations and the inspection system was broken. Still, the spokesman did acknowledge problems and said nursing homes need to do a better job.