How to Check Nursing Home Violations

Moving into a nursing home is a significant life change. Whether you are going to be the resident or have a loved one making the change, nursing homes are supposed to be safe places for elderly individuals with medical needs. 

They also provide a community for a population that can sometimes feel isolated. Unfortunately, not all assisted living facilities have perfect records. Residents sometimes suffer from nursing home abuse or neglect, putting their health at risk. 

Fortunately, you can find out what violations nursing homes have had. To ensure your safety or that of your elderly loved one, you should know how to research each facility to determine their violation and complaint history. 

What Constitutes a Nursing Home Violation?

A violation occurs when a nursing home fails to maintain a specific standard according to state or federal regulations. Violations can fall under numerous categories, including health and safety, resident rights, and administrative. Violations could be minor and require slight alterations from the staff, but they can also be far more disruptive to residents’ well-being. 

Resources for Checking Nursing Home Violations

Before you help family members move into a nursing home, you should research the facility to check for violations listed in past inspections or complaint reports. This will provide your family with peace of mind during this transition. 

You can also search the history of a facility if you suspect abuse or neglect may be occurring. Here are some resources to find information about past violations.  

Federal and State Websites

Multiple websites can help you find a report on a specific facility. The primary federal resource is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services page, which features a nursing home comparison page with ratings and reports of deficiencies.[1] 

If you are searching for specific nursing homes, a massive database on US News dives into the background of facilities across the country. [2] Finally, your state health department website is an excellent place to start to assess the quality of a local nursing home. 

Nursing Home Advocacy Groups and Resources

If you are interested in connecting with advocacy groups, many organizations can help you locate quality practices. These services often include tools to look up detailed information about violations and inspection reports for nursing homes. 

Some of the most reputable advocacy groups include the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, the National Council on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and the National Center for Assisted Living. 

Local News and Media Outlets

If you are still looking for data about local nursing homes in your area, it is worth checking out local news and media outlets. Many publications will share inspection reports, links, and violation stories about specific facilities. This makes it easy to look up a facility and find stories about service deficiencies. 

Steps to Check for Nursing Home Violations

If you have a family member considering a nursing home facility, it is essential to do your research. If you cannot request information directly from the facility, here are a few steps to follow to learn more about the nursing home’s care record. 

Identify the Nursing Home

First, you need to identify the names of nursing homes in your community. You can look up these facilities using the CMS website or depend on local news organizations that report on nursing homes. You will need the name and location of the facility to conduct a specific search. 

Access Inspection Reports and Survey Data

If you use websites like CMS or US News to find past inspections, you should be able to enter the facility’s name and the town or city to see it. Once you have found the nursing home, you can review the inspection report for each location on your list. 

Interpret Violation Information

When reading an inspection report, several elements should be considered. First, has the nursing home received official citations from a state or federal agency? The report will include a section detailing the deficiencies found so you can assess their severity. 

Another aspect to consider is what corrective measures have been taken to address the issues found by the inspectors. 

Compare Nursing Homes

Before you visit a nursing home to consider its services for yourself or your family member, you can compare it to other facilities using these resources. CMS has a rating system that includes an overall score, a staffing score, a quality measures score, and a health inspection score. 

These five-star ratings are based on official inspections and complaint reports compiled by the federal agency. You can further evaluate the severity of past violations by cross-checking the CMS ratings with US News reports about specific violations.

When to Seek Legal Help

Residents in nursing homes may become victims of abusive or negligent behavior. Perhaps you have discovered that violations occur in the facility you or your loved one live in. Seeking help from a specialized law firm may be your best option to address the injustice. 

Recognizing Patterns of Violations

Identifying violations is crucial for nursing home residents and their families. Evidence of recurring or system violations indicates a much larger problem with the facility. If you suspect a pattern of violations, you may need to contact an attorney to pursue legal action against the nursing home. 

Serious Violations and Immediate Jeopardy

Legal action may be necessary to protect residents if serious violations place them in immediate danger. For example, staffing shortages, lack of security, staff ignoring calls for assistance, infection outbreaks, and other similar circumstances represent immediate threats. 

If staff are not responding to these threats sufficiently, the only solution is to hold the facility accountable through legal action. 

If You Suspect Abuse or Neglect

An official violation is not the only reason to contact a legal team. You may only suspect that abusive or negligent behavior harms your loved one. It is essential to consult nursing home negligence and abuse attorneys to talk through your legal options. It is the most effective way to investigate the facility to determine if residents are mistreated. 

Contact a Nursing Home Violation Lawyer Now!

Standing up for your loved one with legal assistance may be the only path to justice if a nursing home commits violations against them. While you can research facilities using a state agency website or federal resources, these inspection reports and violation records may not reveal everything that goes on in a nursing home. 

The Nursing Home Law Center is a law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of residents and their families. Whether you discover violations from past inspections or by witnessing poor behaviors yourself, we must hold these institutions responsible for wrongdoing to protect the livelihoods of all residents. 

Call our office today at 800-926-7565 or complete the online form for free consultation about your nursing home case. 

References: [1] Medicare, [2] Health.usnews.com