 September 2004 Food For Thought ********************************************** IN THIS ISSUE: New Numbers Show Improvements In Nursing Homes New government statistics show a significant decline in the number of penalties imposed on nursing homes for violations of federal health and safety standards within the last four years. Specifically the statistics show: "¢ The number of nursing homes penalized for violations of federal standards declined by 18 percent, to 2,146 in 2003 from 2,622 in 2000. "¢ The number of civil monetary penalties declined 12 percent, to 1,979 in 2003 from 2,242 in 2000. "¢ The number of nursing homes denied Medicare or Medicaid payment for new admissions fell 47 percent, to 698 in 2003, from 1,312 in 2000. State employees, working under contract with the federal government, inspect nursing homes once a year, on average, to check compliance with federal requirements. Federal officials are supposed to visit at least five percent of the homes to verify the states' findings. Plausible reasons for the apparent downward trend include an improved quality of care in nursing homes and possibly the effectiveness of earlier enforcement actions. For many in long-term care, the decline can be seen as a positive turn of events, showing an improvement in the performance of nursing homes. Still More Work Ahead While this news appears quite promising, some experts believe that many nursing homes still have serious deficiencies in the quality of care. For example, The Government Accountability Office" an investigative arm of Congress" recently found that one-fifth of nursing homes had been cited for "serious deficiencies involving actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents,'' while "59 percent of all nursing homes nationwide were cited for fire safety deficiencies.'' Other experts have stated that some nursing homes show a "yo-yo pattern,'' briefly correcting deficiencies to avoid penalties, then allowing care to deteriorate again. Results of inspections are available through the Nursing Home Compare link at http://www.medicare.gov./ |