How To Look Up Nursing Home Violations
If you and your family have decided to transition a loved one into a nursing home facility, you must research that facility to ensure it meets a standard of care where your loved one can thrive. As you compile your list of possible facilities, you’ll want to adopt a two-track plan to determine which place is the best.
That decision should be based on visiting the facility and looking up any past nursing home violations.
The concept of nursing home abuse is not something any family wants to think about.
Even after your loved one is settled in their new home, you’ll still be considered their primary caregiver. That means you must be vigilant in looking for the signs of abuse. If you suspect abuse, report it immediately. It will also be helpful to speak with the attorneys at Western Justice Associates, PLLC, who have experience assisting families with these matters.
Where to Look Up Nursing Home Violations in Montana?
As part of your nursing home research, you have two primary sources to look up violations: the Medicare Nursing Home Compare website and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). Here’s how you can utilize these resources:
Medicare Home Compare
Nearly every nursing home you might consider for your loved one will be taking payments from Medicare. As a result, these facilities must comply with federal standards and undergo annual inspections. The results of those inspections are made public.
When you access the website, you can navigate to the Nursing Home Compare section and enter the name of the nursing home that you’re researching. You’ll be able to review that facility’s overall rating, results of the health inspection, and staffing information.
The inspection reports should include any citations or violations issued against the facility.
You can also check if the facility has ever been fined for failing an inspection.
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS)
On the DPHHS site, the Certification Bureau Survey Results and Plans of Correction is where you can enter the name of the nursing home facility you’re considering. You’ll be able to access the following survey results:
- Health
- Life safety code
- Complaint
- Revisit surveys
The surveys for nursing home facilities available on this site only go back three years. If you need to access older surveys, you can submit a request to mt****@**.gov.
What Are the Additional Resources for Nursing Home Research?
There are additional resources available to Montana families to look up nursing home violations. The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program helps nursing home residents and their families understand their rights that are guaranteed by law. In addition to helping find any violations, the Ombudsman can help with the following:
- Resolve problems or complaints from people living in nursing homes
- Provide information to residents about long-term care services
- Speak on your behalf to agencies to seek remedies to protect residents
- Help you learn about resident rights and good care practices
- Advise on starting resident and family councils
- Advocate for changes to improve your quality of life and care
How to Interpret the Violations
If you do find a violation in a nursing home, there are a lot of elements that you need to interpret to have a complete understanding of what might be going on at that facility. Here’s what to consider:
Health Inspections
The recurring health inspections that happen at a nursing home focus on the quality of care, quality of life, safe and sanitary conditions, and patient rights.
Life Safety Code (LSC) Surveys
These surveys focus on the nursing home’s adherence to state fire safety codes.
Complaint Surveys
A complaint survey is conducted in response to complaints received from the residents or their families.
You also have to pay close attention to a nursing home that has serious deficiencies that might pose an immediate threat to a resident’s health. You should also be aware of repeat offenders.
A nursing home with repeated violations may indicate a problem with compliance.
Additionally, it’s important to consider a nursing home’s staffing levels. If a nursing home is cited for understaffing, it can be regarded as neglect of the residents.
Finding the Right Support for Nursing Home Abuse
Even if you find a nursing home without serious violations, that doesn’t mean they will maintain that record. One wrong staff hire can lead to an incident of abuse.
When that occurs, you’ll want to speak with the Western Justice Associates, PLLC, to find out what your options might be for a remedy. We are strong advocates for our clients and are dedicated to ensuring their loved ones are well cared for.
Call to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your nursing home concerns.
