Iowa may be a great place to visit, but I would not want to get end of life care there. A recent article in the Des Moines Register reveals that hospices in Iowa are scheduled to be inspected once every 20 years. This hard-to-believe number is the end result of anti-regulation sentiment and pro-business enthusiasm.
In Iowa, you don’t have to have a license to run a hospice. All you need is an empty bed and a shingle. Common sense efforts to reform this obvious oversight in health care regulations have been stonewalled by the extremely powerful health care and business lobbies. As of now, there is a license, but it’s not required.
Only 9% of Iowa hospices have opted for the voluntary license. That leaves dozens, if not hundreds, of facilities receiving Medicare money with no oversight whatsoever. It’s a scary prospect.
With no inspections and no ability to fine or revoke licenses, the only recourse possible to the people of Iowa is the court system. Only fear of punishment by a jury can keep the profit driven hospice industry adhering to standards of treatment and dignity.
If you fear that someone you love has been mistreated in a hospice, you should contact an attorney. Even if it’s too late for your loved one, there are so many more that can be spared the terrible treatment that can occur at an unlicensed health care center.
Luckily for us, Illinois is much more strict with regard to operating a hospice. Every hospice in Illinois must be licensed, and all are subject to inspection and fines for violations.
Often, we think that the term “small government” automatically means less spending with no consequences. Sometimes, I’m sure that’s true. Many of us will remember reading about the $600 toilet seats the Pentagon was purchasing during the 1980s. Sometimes, however, those decisions cause real pain and suffering. Cutting nursing home and hospice inspectors from a State budget is one of those times.
If someone you love has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect contact me for a free case evaluation.
Barry G. Doyle is a personal injury lawyer in Chicago and the founder of the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, an Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect law firm dedicated to representing nursing home residents and their families.. If you or a loved one has been killed, injured or suffered neglect in a nursing home in Chicago, please order your free copy of A Family’s Guide to Nursing Home Lawsuits in Illinois. It’s full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and is free to all Illinois residents.
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