A new website launched by ProPublica is changing the way that people can search for problems and deficiencies with nursing homes in their local area. Over the past few months, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have begun publishing their nursing home violation reports on the web. The analysis of the inspections have always been available as part of the CMS Medicare.gov website, but the reports are new.
ProPublica has taken the reports (over 20,000 of them currently released) a step farther, making them keyword searchable. That makes it possible to now find out if, for example, a particular nursing home had a problem with bed sores or nursing home falls. The website, Nursing Home Inspect, can be found here.
In addition, ProPublica has developed a “Severity Range” based upon the deficiencies contained in the inspection report. Searchers are able to weed out nursing homes with high severity level.
To sum up, this website is a powerful tool for families who have loved ones in nursing homes or who are preparing for the possibility that they may have to. While it’s true that Nursing Home Inspect isn’t new in that the data were already freely available, it adds keyword searchability and the ability to weed nursing homes based on their reports. This is a good thing.
ProPublica is an non-profit organization that serves primarily as a investigative journalism newsroom.
This on-line resource is also available to file a complaint against an Illinois nursing home.
If you have a loved one who you feel has been the victim of nursing home neglect in an Illinois nursing home, contact my law offices for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law firm, we never charge a fee unless we take, and win, your case.