Missouri Nursing Homes Under Government Scrutiny
Rehabilitation Center of Independence in Independence, Missouri and Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri have both obtained temporary restraining orders after the State of Missouri found significant deficiencies at both facilities and recommended that Medicare and Medicaid funding be terminated at both facilities until they are in compliance with state and federal regulations.
The Rehabilitation Center indicated that the majority of its citations were related to paperwork and one had to do with giving medication to a resident. Concerning the medication issue, the facility spokeswoman said, "Regarding this particular issue, we believe that the medication was appropriately administered, but that there is a respectful and legitimate difference in the interpretation of the nursing notes documenting the administration of the medication". Of the facility's 86 residents, there are only 14 private pay residents. Many residents have been long-term residents and almost all are confused, suffer from dementia, or have psychiatric disabilities.
The Two Rivers Center was cited for failure to follow policies for patients at high risk for falls and a patient suicide. That case has been sent to mediation and the facility currently remains open.
Julie Brookhart, spokeswoman for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid, stated that surveyors typically find six or seven deficiencies "every time they go in" to a Missouri nursing home and "if the facility doesn't respond in a certain amount of time, then they are put on the termination track but for the most part, they come into compliance and they are not terminated".
