General Accounting Office Questions Nursing Home Safety Procedures
March 4, 2002
According to a new report published by the General Accounting Office (GAO), many nursing homes fail to report instances of alleged physical elderly abuse and sexual abuse in a timely manner. Investigators claim many facilities across the nation often report allegations of abuse two to three days after they occur. These delays can significantly hinder investigations.
The GAO is asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a Federal agency that oversees nursing homes, to institute procedures that will allow investigations to run more smoothly. The agency also recommends that nursing homes run thorough background checks on potential employees. Over 1 million elderly patients currently reside in one of America's 17,000 nursing homes.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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