Are nursing home inspections worth doing?
I have read several articles recently about how some cities like Cincinnati may stop conducting nursing home inspections. That is fine with me since most inspectors in South Carolina are so overworked and underfunded that the inspectors don't have the time and resources to properly insure that the nursing home is properly caring for the residents.
Typically, the nursing homes know when they are coming and improve conditions before the inspectors get there. We hear countless stories from ex-employees of nursing homes in the area that all repeat the same chorus. "They increase staff and clean everything when they know the survey team will be coming in".
I have not seen any complaints substantiated or any fines incurred against any of the for profit nursing homes. The inspectors in South Carolina seem to ignore violations, and the concerns of residents and family members. Instead, they criticize the county run nursing homes or the charitable organizations that run the mom and pop nursing homes. I can't tell if it is corruption or incompetence but certainly the inspection program in South Carolina isn't doing anything to provide better care or oversight for the residents.
Below is a summary of a story by Dan Horn about Cincinnati dropping nursing home inspections
The Cincinnati Health Department is considering whether to drop its inspection program for nursing homes and residential care facilities. Budget cuts and retirements could soon leave the department unable to keep up with annual inspections. Cincinnati is the only city in the state that does its own nursing home inspections, a policy that city officials have said allows the city to react more quickly and aggressively to problems. He said the program once operated with six inspectors and supervisors, but that number fell to four by the start of this year. Another retirement will drop the total to three employees by this fall.
