USA TODAY analysis of new government data finds that one fifth of the nation’s nursing homes received poor overall ratings. On January 27th Medicare released quality rating data indicating more than a quarter million patients live in nursing homes receiving low scores. The ratings are derived from investigations, inspections, complaints and other data collected in 2008 and 2009. All states had homes with consistent poor ratings. Larry Minnix, CEO of American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, stated “the issue is the owners have to take responsibility for the consequences” of poorly performing homes. Nearly all the homes that repeatedly received low overall rating were owned by for- profit corporations.
The newspaper analysis found the lowest rated homes had an average of 14 deficiencies per facility, including quality of life measures and safety violations. Larry Minnix also stated
“If homes are not motivated to get better, chances are they won’t, and you’ll end up in homes in poor quality purgatory”. “There should be two types of homes: the excellent and the non-existent”.
Before putting a love one in a nursing home, request a copy of their ratings and refuse to put them in homes with one or two star ratings. Corporate America only understands the almighty dollar and if people demand quality care or they will go elsewhere, things will change.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
