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Number of Arizona nursing homes with serious problems growing
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The number of nursing homes in Arizona found to have serious problems has grown in the past two years.
In 2006, inspectors found 11 facilities, or 13 percent of the state’s nursing homes, were in immediate jeopardy, with elderly patients receiving the wrong medicine and some seniors living in fear of reprisals from abusive employees.
That number is up from two facilities in 2005 and one or two in preceding years.
So far this year, three facilities have received the worst possible rating for a nursing home. One was Waverly Park in Tucson.
It was fined $20,250 in April for not giving medications to 21 patients over four days last year.
Industry analysts say one reason for the increases is tougher inspectors, who are more likely to label a home in “immediate jeopardy” rather than issue a routine report.
And tougher inspectors is good news for Arizona’s patients, said Charlene Harrington, a researcher at the University of California-San Francisco who recently testified before Congress about the need for more accountability by inspectors and nursing-home operators.
Harrington said states need to be tougher on homes. “There is really no evidence that nursing homes are getting better,” she said.
Nursing-home care became the center of heated debate earlier this year when state inspectors found the Arizona State Veteran Home was in immediate jeopardy. They found elderly patients were allowed to smoke unsupervised, sometimes burning themselves, and other residents were left in soiled clothes for hours.
The federal government fined the home $10,000, and Gov. Janet Napolitano and legislators promised improvements. Inspectors say the home is now in compliance.
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