From Steve Gold's Nuggets, March 02, 2008
CMS issued a report on 2/13/08 identifying the 131 worst nursing facilities in the country. To make this honor role:
(1) these facilities had at least twice as many deficiencies as the average number of average deficiencies than other nursing facilities in the quality of care they provided; (2) they had more serious problems than other nursing homes ("serious problems"are those, by definition, that actually cause harm or injury to residents), AND (3) they had a pattern of these "serious problems" that persisted over approximately three years.
One would think that such nursing institutions would have been shut down well before three years! Or at least, CMS would have disallowed federal Medicaid and Medicare funds to continue to flow to them. Can one imagine how afraid older Americans and other residents with disabilities must be in these institutions? They see and know these "serious problems" pervade the nursing facility where they are, and they must live in constant fear that they will be the next "serious problem" even though many want to return to the community with appropriate services.
Can anyone imagine the CMS officials or our esteemed federally elected officials letting their mothers or brothers or children stay in these institutions for any length of time, let alone three years?
One might think that our federal Medicare and Medicaid dollars would have been stopped as soon as a nursing facility caused one "serious" harm or injury to residents. Without any question, when "serious problems"
persist for more than one inspection, the dollars should have been stopped. But they continue.
What will it take to stop spending our federal dollars in nursing institutions that cause "serious" harm and injury to older Americans and people with disabilities? Maybe if CMS officials will not impose serious penalties we should ask them to spend some time in these institutions as "residents." Let them have to live in these nursing institutions and be potential victims of "serious problems." Such an experience might even push them to opt for community-based services as an entitlement.
Maybe CMS should tell us how many residents need to be seriously injured or harmed before a nursing facility loses its Medicaid and Medicare funds.
Is there a magic number?
Of the 131, here are the 52 worse nursing facilities that have not improved but still receive Medicaid and Medicare funds. (Some of the 131 "improved" in one inspection but have not sustained improvement for 12
months.) Let's remember these 52 are only the tip of the worst..
Disability and Older American advocates could check out the mortality/morbidity rates in these nursing facilities. Do your newspapers know these esteemed nursing facilities have made the CMS "worse" list?
You could even determine what, if anything, your state Health Department (or whatever is the nursing home inspection unit in your State) has done to monitor or impose sanctions on these dangerous institutions.
Eastview Health Care Center, Birmingham, Al,
Medi-Home Inc, Fort Smith AR,
Infinia At Show Low, Show Low, AZ,
Evergreen Foothills Health & Rehab, Phoenix, AZ,
Ember Health Care - Pomona, Pomona, CA,
Pleasant Care Rehab&Nursing Center, Santa Cruz, CA,
Eagle Ridge at Grand Valley, Grand Junction, CO,
Kindred Healthcare & Rehab, Northgleen, CP,
Apollo Health & Rehab, St. Petersburg, FL,
Key West Conv Center, Key West, FL,
Polk City Nurisng & Rehab, Polk City, IA,
Cedar Falls Health care, Cedar Falls, IA,
International Village, Chicago, IL,
Berkshire Nursing & Rehab Center, Forest Park, IL,
Hillcrest Center for Heath & Rehab, Jeffersonville, IN,
St. Jospeh Care Center - west, South bend, IN,
Valparaiso Care & Rehab center Valparaiso, IN
Deseret Nursing & Rehab, Colby, KS
Highlands Nursing Louisville, KY
Cambridge Place Lexington, KY
Cedar Hill Health Care Randolph, MA
Harborside Healthare Wakefield, MA
Fairlane Senior Care Detroit, MI
Imperial Healthcare Dearborn Heights, MI
Metron of Big Rapids Big Rapids, MI
West Village Manor Columbia, MO
Senior Estates Kansas City, MO
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Florissant, MO
Evergreen Missoula Missoula, MT
Infinia Att Florence Heights Omaha, NE
Victoria Health Care Cente Matawan, NJ
Fort Bayard Med Center Fort Bayard, NM
Northwoods Rehab ECC Hilltop Niskayuna, NY
Geriatric Center of Mansfield Mansfield, OH
Woodlawn Health Care Pawhuska, OK
Northwest Nursing Center Oklahoma City, OK
Hometown Nursing Tamqua, PA
Ashton Hall Phila, PA
Brighten at Broomall Broomall, PA
Unihealth Post Acute (formerly
Manolia Manor) Moncks Corner, SC
Bennett Co. Hosp & Nursing Martin, SC
Overton Park Health care Memphis, Tn
Taylor Care Taylor, TX
Renaissance at Kessler Park Dallas, TX
Bennner Healthcare Houston, TX
San Saba Nursing Home San Saba, TX
Ruston Health of Woodbridge Woodbridge, VA
Frontier Rehab & Ext Care Longview, WA
Franklin Hills Health & Reha Spokane, WA
Willows Nursing and Rehab Sun Prairie, WI
Middleton Village Nursing Rehab Middleton, WI
Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues
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