I recently came across a blog site called Nursing Home Reality, run by a fellow right here in Louisville. He seems passionate about making nursing homes the safe, caregiving facilities they are meant to be.
The blogger points out that January is when most state legislatures begin their 2013 session, and he urges advocates of nursing home reform to review the following suggestions and lobby their legislators to make the changes. He says, “My belief is that these five points can, at a reasonable cost to taxpayers and to nursing homes, help improve the quality of the care provided to residents.”
Suggestion #1: Have each state mandate an increase in the percentage of inspections that must take place outside of regular business hours on weekdays.
Suggestion #2: Require management personnel to work staggered shifts all the time, not just during inspection time.
Suggestion #3: Require state inspectors to seize payroll data immediately upon arrival to verify staffing levels for the 14 continuous days immediately prior to the inspection.
Suggestion #4: Pass legislation prohibiting nursing homes from prohibiting or limiting visits to residents by their family and friends.
Suggestion #5: Pass legislation mandating increased fines against nursing homes that are found guilty of abusing residents’ rights, especially when they force residents to move to another facility.
Has Your Loved One Been Injured in a Nursing Home?
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