131 Worst Senior Care Homes in the US Listed
Persistent Nursing Home Neglect Information Available to the Public
Aug 29, 2008
In November of 2007, a list of 54 nursing homes considered to be some of the worst in their states was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Under pressure from Democratic legislators, an additional 77 nursing homes, also on the Special Focus Facilities list, have been made public as of February 2008.
What Are Special Focus Facilities?
All elder care facilities are inspected at least annually by both the CMS and state agencies. Most nursing homes in the US will have some deficiencies found during inspection. A range of 6 or 7 deficiencies is common and they are generally corrected promptly.
For an adult care home to be considered for listing as a Special Focus Facility the facilities must have:
- At least twice the average number of deficiencies of other nursing homes
- More serious problems than other senior care facilities, including harm or injury to residents
- A pattern of serious problems persisting over at least 3 years
- A history of inconsistent compliance
These nursing homes are required to be inspected more frequently than once a year. Some elder care homes improve enough to ‘graduate’ and be removed from the Special Focus Facilities list. Elder care facilities that make good improvements but not enough to come off the list are given more time to complete their improvements. If significant improvement is not made Medicare and Medicaid funding is terminated.
How to Access and Use The Special Focus Facilities List
A copy of the Special Focus Facilities list can be accessed at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website. The list is regularly updated and separated into several categories:
- Nursing homes that have recently been added to the list
- Nursing homes that have shown improvement
- Nursing homes that have graduated from the program
- Nursing homes no longer funded by Medicare and Medicaid
It is important to note that patients who are in elder care homes which have lost their funding are assisted by CMS in finding placement in a qualified facility. Nursing homes on the list but still funded are closely monitored to reduce further incidents. Contact information is available to residents of Special Focus Facilities and their families if they have specific questions or concerns that need to be addressed.
For those who are in the process of placing a family member in an elder care facility, the list helps them to avoid nursing homes that have a history of consistent negligence or abuse. The site also provides information on accessing federal and state nursing home survey information, which may help in choosing a facility.
Placing a family member in an elder care facility is always a difficult process. Having access to information such as the CMS Special Focus Facilities list and nursing home survey information can help make the process easier.
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