A Nursing home abuse attorney Montgomery County is speaking up about delayed inspections that leave underperforming Special Focus Facilities unmonitored. Echoing the concerns of Montgomery County nursing home abuse attorneys, the Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, Senator Casey Bob Casey (D-PA) has addressed a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Aging Committee reports that 1 out of 5 of underperforming Special Focus Facilities is overdue for inspections. Nursing home abuse attorney Montgomery County indicates that many of these Special Focus Facilities have been slapped with abuse and neglect citations. Nursing home lawyers worry that monitoring delays will result in resident harm.
In Senator Casey’s May 9, 2022 letter, he summarizes concerns regarding the delayed surveys for nursing homes in the Special Focus Facility program. SFF participants compromise just 1% of all nursing homes identified as “substantially failing” to meet federal nursing home requirements. According to a nursing home abuse attorney Montgomery County, frequent inspections are necessary to ensure that SFF nursing homes meet established quality expectations.
Aging Committee reports that 15 nursing homes in the SFF had waited over six months without an inspection by state surveyors as of CMS’ February 23, 2022 program report. This accounts for 1 out of every 5 nursing homes in the SFF program during that time period. Nursing home abuse attorney Montgomery County reveals that many of these nursing homes continue to accumulate citations, frequently through surveys triggered by resident and family complaints.
Sadly, nursing inspection delays are not only affecting SFF nursing homes. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has reported significant backlogs for nursing home inspections since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many states being preoccupied with complaint and infection control inspections instead of the standard survey re-certification process. In fact, a 2021 OIG report found that over 45% of nursing homes nationwide not had a standard survey within 16 months of their last survey. The lack of routine standard inspections worries Nursing home abuse attorney Montgomery County. Absence of regulatory monitoring could leave vulnerable nursing home residents exposed to un-checked abuse or neglect.
In his letter, Senator Casey also pointed out the importance of information transparency for Special Focus Facilities. He worries that many residents or families of these SFF facilities may lack awareness of serious deficiencies cited by survey agencies.
Nursing home abuse lawyers at our firm have many years of experience holding nursing homes liable for injuries caused by abuse or neglect. Victims of nursing home neglect can seek compensation for their serious injuries through a nursing home neglect lawsuit. A Montgomery County nursing home abuse lawyer at our firm understands that understaffing and poorly trained nursing staff are unacceptable, and that nursing home residents deserve quality care. Call an attorney today at 215-666-7777, or send us a message via the online form.
