Assisted Living Facilities Fall Through The Cracks - Why Doesn't Anyone Inspect Them?
Last year, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid instituted a new ratings system for nursing homes in an effort to educate the public on facilities they were considering utilizing for their loved ones. Unfortunately, there is no such rating system in place for assisted living facilities, which can be just as detrimental as skilled facilities.
Some states have instituted their own ratings systems for assisted living facilities, but in mnay states, the only way to obtain information about the facility is to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the state. Many advocate that a uniform rating system needs to be instituted for the general public to obtain information about assisted living facilities and to force assisted living facilities to be held accountable for substandard care.
Certainly, there are differences between assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Residents of assisted living facilities need assistance with a few activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, or taking medicine, but on the whole, they are often able to care for themselves.
One example of assisted living comes from South Carolina. Sandra Belaja became a resident of Palmetto Residential Care Facility in North Charleston, South Carolina after a hospitalization. She went to the facility for assistance in taking her medications. Previously, she lived on her own and was able to take care of herself. When she arrived at the facility, Ms. Belaja's heart was not even working at ten percent and she was suffering from congestive heart failure, lupus, and other health problems. She left the Palmetto Residential Care Facility due to poor living conditions. She alleges that residents often went without toilet paper and soap in the bathroom, which had two toilets for twelve people. She said when the heating broke, residents were kept warm by an oven. Ms. Belaja opted to move to the Value Place Hotel. There, hospice workers bring her oxygen and monitor her medicine.
Some states have instituted their own ratings systems for assisted living facilities, but in many states, the only way to obtain information about the facility is to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the state.
Bad things can happen in assisted living facilities just like in nursing homes. In short, a uniform rating system needs to be instituted for the general public to obtain information about assisted living facilities.
