Federal Grants Fund Background Checks to Fight Nursing Home Abuse

March 09, 2011

Families who entrust their elders and other vulnerable loved ones to nursing homes and long-term treatment facilities rightly expect capable and kind care. Nursing home negligence is an institutional problem that is completely avoidable if administrators are willing to adequately train and supervise employees. Yet every year Utah nursing home residents suffer broken hips, infected bed sores, dehydration or malnutrition because of substandard care.

One of the worst types of nursing home malpractice is negligent hiring practices that bring abusive employees into contact with residents. Facilities must be held accountable when they bring employees with a record of criminal or abusive activity into the very homes of the vulnerable. That is the primary reason why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has started providing grants to states so they can establish programs to guarantee comprehensive criminal background checks of applicants who will have direct patient care responsibilities.

"More states should take advantage of this grant funding" said the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Senator Herb Kohl. Nursing home safety pilot programs have shown that broader implementation of criminal background checks could keep thousands of predators out of residential facilities and reduce elder abuse nationwide.

Exploitive or abusive long-term care workers can cause terrible physical harm to residents, and they also present risks to a vulnerable person's financial and emotional health. Yet the present system for evaluating potential employees is a patchwork of inconsistent practices, and too many predators are able to gain access to facilities where they can abuse or steal -- and all too often fail to provide necessary care.

Utah Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers Explain Abuse Victims' Rights

When negligent hiring practices compromise patient safety, a nursing home has failed to live up to its obligation to residents and the families who support and love them. When that negligence leads to real harm to an elderly person or other helpless victim, responsible parties can be held accountable for damages.

A consultation with an attorney who has experience with medical malpractice litigation can provide relevant information to help elder abuse victims or loved ones understand their legal options. Among the most important reasons behind taking legal action is the ability to force administrators to review their policies and face up to the harm that they have caused.

Article provided by Rasmussen & Miner
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