Nursing Home Abuse News

DHSS Announces Plan For Surprise Inspections

DHSS Acting Secretary Gregg C. Sylvester, MD, MPH, today detailed plans for surprise inspections of the state's nursing homes, scheduled to become effective January 1, 1998. Surprise inspections will supplement the state's existing program of annual surveys. Surprise inspections can take place on any day and during any shift.

"The point is to check conditions at random times in the day and random points in the year to ensure the residents are afforded the care they so justly deserve," said Dr. Sylvester. "We are putting all nursing homes on notice that we are serious about improving the quality of care for nursing home residents. We expect nursing homes to maintain quality standards throughout the year, not just at annual inspection time."

Each of the state's 51 nursing homes will receive surprise visits every year. The primary focus of these surprise inspections will be to target serious and/or recurrent deficiencies that affect the quality of care for the residents. These deficiencies could include staffing coverage and training, cleanliness of the facility, infection control, or environmental hazards such as water temperatures.

At the completion of the surprise inspection, the inspectors will determine if the deficiencies found indicate substandard quality of care. If there is immediate jeopardy to a resident or residents, DHSS will take immediate action against the facility.

Other plans to improve the quality of care in Delaware's nursing homes include the reassignment of Chris Long, the Deputy Director of DHSS' Division of Mental Retardation, to oversee management reforms in the Ombudsman's Office. Ms. Long will serve as an interim manager/consultant for six months and will recommend and help implement changes to improve the Department's response to abuse and neglect complaints.

Ms. Long is a former consumer advocate in the Senior Citizens and Disabilities Law programs of the Community Legal Aid Society. She also has served as the Acting Director of the Stockley Center in Georgetown, the only public long-term care facility in Delaware for persons with mental retardation.

In addition, DHSS will automate the complaint tracking system in the Ombudsman's Office and will double the staff level. Explained Dr. Sylvester, "Our six ombudsmen are swamped, carrying open caseloads of 300 each and doing so with a manual data collection system. The number of complaints of abuse and neglect has doubled in the past two years. Our ombudsmen simply cannot carry these caseloads and do their jobs effectively with a manual data system."

Finally, DHSS outlined plans today for a consumer outreach/education campaign, including a consumer's guide to choosing a nursing home in Delaware, a website, profiles of each of the 51 facilities, and an annual report on the status of nursing home care in Delaware.

"Together, these steps - surprise inspections, management oversight, automation, and outreach - will help us in our goal of providing the best possible care for all residents of all 51 nursing homes," said Dr. Sylvester. "We have heard loud and clear that these steps are necessary to improve the quality of care in our nursing homes, and we are already moving in the right direction to make these plans a reality. We welcome other suggestions and look forward to working with the Legislative and Citizens Panel on Nursing Home Reform, chaired by Senator Robert Marshall, to ensure that we are protecting and nurturing nursing home residents in our state."

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

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	Did You Know?
	There are definitions of nursing home abuse and neglect. Abuse means causing intentional pain or harm. This includes physical, mental, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse, corporal punishment, unreasonable seclusion, and intimidation.