Nursing Home Staffing Tricks: Inspection Bump

If you’re looking for a nursing home for yourself or a loved one, the federal agency that oversees nursing homes–the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or “CMS”–has a great resource to look up and evaluate nursing homes.  It’s called “Nursing Home Compare,” and you can find it here.

But wait!

As I’ve sued more nursing homes and gotten into the weeds on their staffing, I’ve found a disturbing trend.  There can be a “bump” in staffing around the time of the nursing home’s annual “surprise” inspection.  (I say “surprise” because they are not supposed to know when it is happening.)

Why does this matter?

The Nursing Home Compare’s 5-Star rating system evaluates things including staffing.  We know better nurse staffing leads to better resident outcomes.  So it is kind of important to be accurate about staffing.

As it turns out, the staffing picture isn’t based on the staffing data the nursing home submits to Medicare throughout the year.  It’s based on just a 2-week snapshot from just before the inspection.

Now, if nursing homes were really “surprised” by the inspection, that shouldn’t matter, right?  Except, we see the bump, which means something is going on.

Besides the possibility they are tipped off or find out when the inspection is coming, another possible explanation is that the two-week data is submitted on a different form than normal staffing data.  That gives the nursing home the opportunity to inflate the numbers.  not honest, not fair, but a possibility.

So when using the resource, take the rating with a grain of salt.

Do you have questions about a possible abuse, neglect, stroke, or heart attack case? Contact us now using this confidential form. Or leave a comment below--but remember the comments are public, not confidential.

 Our No Fear Guarantee 

You’ve probably seen the lawyer ads: “No Fee Guarantee!” “No Fees if We Don’t Win!”   

Guess what? That’s true for just about any plaintiff’s lawyer.  It’s what a “contingency fee” means.  It doesn’t mean they’ll work hard.  Or get a good result for you.  It doesn’t mean much at all.

What we promise you is a NO FEAR guarantee.

What does that mean?  For 99% of our clients, a medical injury caused by negligence is new.  The medical malpractice lawsuit process is new.  Depositions, discovery, trial . . . everything is new.

New can be scary.  Especially when it involves having to testify under oath.

We’ve developed systems that let you address and move past the fear. Through education and information about the process. Role-playing and other preparation techniques. We empower you to be fearless.  Because this process is hard enough.

Contact us now.

—Subscribe Today—

HEALTHY IN A NURSING HOME
e-Newsletter

Email Opt-In (Pop-Up)
Name
Name
First
Last

Get the Definitive Guide . . . FREE

Get the definitive guide on Nursing Home and Assisted Living Claims — a $14.99 value — yours free, without commitment.

I don’t want the guide

Nursing Home and Assisted Living Wrongful Death Claims Book Cover three dimensional with shadow