A congressional investigation found that federal oversight funding has stalled nursing home inspections and led to a shortage of inspectors.
The Senate Committee on Aging report found 31 states and Washington, D.C., had inspector staff vacancy rates about 20 percent on average. Nine states were short staffed by half or more with the highest rates in Kentucky (83 percent), Alabama (80 percent) and Idaho (71 percent).
"States reported that severe staffing shortages and high turnover rates, driven largely by the inability to offer competitive salaries, hampers their ability to conduct annual surveys on time and promptly investigate complaints," the report said. "Such delays negatively affect nursing home residents … [and] also diminish the timeliness and accuracy [of Care Compare]."
Here are five takeaways from the report:
- State agencies that enforce federal rules for nursing homes continue to struggle with low wages, frequent turnover and high vacancy rates.
- Inspectors are leaving for higher pay and jobs with less travel.
- Watchdogs are reporting poor care and violence that inspectors either are not investigating or delay investigating.
- Congress has not provided oversight funding despite the last three presidents asking for it.
- Other nursing home reforms are unlikely to succeed if enforcement remains low.