Quality of care problems persist in for-profit nursing homes

Late in 2008, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services began issuing star ratings for nursing home.  The rating scale is on a 5-star basis, with the greater number of stars being the better rating.

The ratings reflect the quality of care that is being given at the nursing homes as determined by inspections, also known as surveys, and a review of quality indicators such as the incidence of pressure ulcers at the nursing home.  Poor-performing facilities are given a low number of stars.

Approximately 20% of the nation's nursing homes receive one- or two-star ratings, which are indicative of significant quality of care deficiencies.  A review of the data shows that the vast majority of the nation's poorly-performing nursing homes are operated on a for-profit basis.

One recurrent them we see in the Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect suits we handle is that many of the for-profit nursing homes do not provide enough staff and resources to provide proper care to the residents they serve.  That lack of resources eventually shows itself in poor care outcomes for the residents.

It is a classic result of the choice of profits over people.  When that choice is made by people to whom we have entrusted our parents and other people who are badly in need of good care and assistance, that is simply wrong.