A non-profit “citizens advocacy” group based in Tallahassee, Florida has compiled information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Kaiser Health Foundation Staffing Data, and information from the state Long-Term Care Ombudsman program to compile an A-F score for each state.
The reports are making a few headlines, mostly local Florida news but also some national news organizations as well. The general response has been fairly benign. As a Chicago nursing home lawyer, however, the results leave me feeling rather skeptical.
For example, the state of Florida, where the organization is based, was given a grade of B despite some serious issues. Florida is ranked 44th in Resident Nursing hours. In addition, earlier this year, the Justice Department sued the state over the reprehensible practice of housing hundreds of disabled children in nursing homes for years. Finally, the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman was recently placed under house arrest and is the subject of an internal investigation.
The state of Illinois is ranked 42nd out of 50 states. Despite my skepticism of some of the grades doled out by the “Families for Better Care,” the truth is that Illinois is far from the best place to be in nursing home care.
Direct Care Staffing is the backbone of any nursing home. They are the people who feed residents, clothe them, and help them with any of the other Activities of Daily Living. According to the report card, Illinois residents receive less than two hour of personal care on a daily basis. That is a recipe for nursing home neglect.
If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home, and you feel they have been the victim of nursing home neglect, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law offices our Chicago nursing home lawyers have the experience and expertise to manage every aspect of your nursing home neglect lawsuit, and we would welcome the opportunity to speak to you.
Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer Blog 