Most nursing homes violate standards of care according to government report
More than 90 percent of U.S. nursing homes were cited for violating federal standards of care in each of the past three years, according to a government report. Medicare is trying to increase the quality of nursing home care by posting on its Web site the names of facilities that perform poorly in state inspections. The government also plans to implement a star rating system similar to hotel rankings.
Florida had a rating system for years and it did little to improve the quality of nursing home care. Today, protections enacted by the Florida Legislature are making it significantly harder to hold nursing homes responsible when they abuse or neglect a resident. Before these changes in the law, instances of nursing home abuse decreased dramatically. Now, we are seeing a rise in nursing home abuse. We know from years of experience that our seniors are at risk if there is no financial penalty for nursing home abuse.
