A report released on September 28 by the Government Accountability Office identified 580 poor-performing nursing homes that should be considered among the nation’s worst. Previously, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had identified 136 “Special Focus Facilities.”  These nursing homes have been cited for bleak living conditions and are now subject to extra inspections.

However, the recent report identified that nearly 4 times as many facilities qualify for this extra attention. Senator Herb Kohl, D-Wis, that the suggested that the Special Focus Facilities Program should be expanded to include more of these well below-standard facilities.

These findings are based on the government’s five-star rating system.  The five-star system ranks nursing homes and long term care facilities from one star (much below average) to five stars (much above average) based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures.  In the GAO report, emphasis was put on deficiencies that had previously caused residents harm and on the facility’s long-term performance history.  

The investigation found that the poorest performing nursing homes were more likely to be for-profit facilities and part of a chain.  They also tended to have more beds and more residents, but fewer registered nurses.

No one deserves to be neglected.  But, when nursing homes take short-cuts, our loved ones suffer.  If you or a family member is a victim of nursing home neglect, please call the attorneys at Kaufman Law toll free at 888-973-2540 for a free consultation.  We can help.