Nursing Home Data Lacking
Out-of-date information and inaccessible state inspection reports for California nursing homes can make it difficult for family members to research the facilities, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Experts say the easiest way to access state inspection reports of nursing homes is to visit the facility because state law requires the reports to be prominently displayed. However, according to Trudy Lieberman, author of a Consumer Reports study on nursing home quality, the accessibility of the reports varies by institution.
Pat McGinnis of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, which maintains a Web site of nursing home data, said state licensing officials have not provided updated data on nursing home citations for inadequate care since 2004.
Department of Health officials have testified before the legislative committees that they lack the funding to provide the updated citation information or make all of the reports available online as required by state law (Weaver Teichert, Sacramento Bee, 8/12).