How many recent violations does this nursing home have? How to look it up.
It can be a very stressful decision for a family to place a loved one into a nursing home. In addition to the cost and emotional considerations, it is vital that your loved one is safe from abuse and neglect as well. When considering nursing homes, it is definitely important to visit and tour the facility in order to get a firsthand look at the home your loved one will be entrusted to. However, despite the fancy tour and friendly staff, hidden dangers can exist that no staff member will show you willingly. It is important when making an informed decision to conduct as much research as possible into any facility you are considering.
Today, there are a number of online resources available to discover information about facilities you are considering without having to ask them a single question. These resources are free and easy to use, and can provide valuable information that would not be available from a home’s tour guide. Every nursing home that accepts federal funding from such taxpayer programs as Medicare and Medicaid must comply with federal regulations that set standards for nursing homes and the care they provide. In order to ensure compliance, the federal government regularly inspects the facilities and reports the findings on their website, and issues citations for noncompliance.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) keeps records of violations by nursing homes and the citations that result from failure to comply with mandatory safety rules. Unfortunately, federal regulations do not require a nursing home to notify a family if a patient’s care is the subject of a survey violation. Even in situations where the government inspection discovers substandard care or even harm, notification is not required. That’s why it is important to conduct your own investigation using all available resources.
On the Medicare website, their system “Nursing Home Compare” can be accessed free of charge and a database of over 17,000 nursing homes across the country can be searched by zip code, city, state, and name of the home. It has its own rating system, and includes detailed information about each home, including records of inspections and a listing of citations and violations that have occurred there.
In addition, non-profit organizations have databases online that allow free access to listings of nursing home violations of over 17,000 nursing homes across the U.S.
Even individual states often catalog nursing home violations and citations, during inspections and complaint investigations performed by a state agency in charge of regulating elderly care facilities. For example, in Texas, the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has a website with a directory of nursing homes in the state and violations and citations issued. Also, a toll-free number is located on their website that you can call and inquire about violations of specific nursing homes by name or location.