Nursing Homes Nationwide Receive Lower Quality Scores
As a result of sweeping changes made in nursing home evaluation standards, many nursing home facilities nationwide are facing a drop in quality ratings. The poor ratings come as no surprise to advocates for the elderly, who have long decried the under-staffing of nursing homes and the overuse of anti-psychotic drugs on the elderly.
A drop in ratings will mean trouble for some nursing homes, which tend to tout their high quality ratings to potential residents in marketing materials. Officials in charge of the quality ratings and Nursing Home Compare website emphasize that the toughened quality standards do not necessarily signal a widespread decline in quality of nursing homes, but serve to encourage continuous improvements in elder care.
Officials Crack Down on Anti-Psychotic Drug Usage in Nursing Homes
The five-star quality rating system, which is used by nearly 1.5 million consumers each year, was recently updated to account for facilities’ use of anti-psychotic drugs. These medications have been shown to pose serious health risks for the elderly, especially for patients with dementia.
While the use of these drugs is often necessary for patients with conditions such as schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome, many facilities give these strong anti-psychotic drugs to patients who do not need them.
Nursing home resident advocates have long criticized the use of these powerful anti-psychotic drugs on the elderly. They claim that facilities use these medications to drug patients rather than provide adequate staffing and care for patients.
Many Nursing Homes Nationwide Lose Five-Star Rating
Due largely in part to the tougher standards regarding anti-psychotic drug usage, the average quality-of-care rating for nursing homes nationwide plummeted from 4.18{feda45885e261fa14202848ec0416fdb5a1c332b072331bc4b7a4cd461f32529} to 3.3{feda45885e261fa14202848ec0416fdb5a1c332b072331bc4b7a4cd461f32529} on the five-star ranking scale. A total of 61{feda45885e261fa14202848ec0416fdb5a1c332b072331bc4b7a4cd461f32529} of facilities nationwide saw a decrease in quality-of-care scores.
The more accurate rating system has also made it more difficult for facilities to earn and maintain the much sought-after five star rating, with 1,200 nursing homes losing their five-star accreditation this year.
About Nursing Home Abuse Experts, Moraitakis & Kushel
At Atlanta legal firm Moraitakis & Kushel, our team has extensive experience representing the families and victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Our experienced team works hard on the side of victims of nursing home abuse, and always remains up to date on the latest developments and regulations in the industry.
While many efforts have been made to improve the safety of nursing homes nationwide, the elderly population still suffers a tragic amount of abuse and neglect in these facilities.
Listed below are a few resources to help educate consumers about the various forms nursing home abuse and neglect may take:
• Neglect and Bed Sores
• Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes
• Unexplained Falls and Deaths
• Dehydration and Malnutrition
To meet with the team at Moraitakis & Kushel for a consultation about nursing home abuse, please call our office at 404-973-0341, or fill out our convenient online contact form.