Florida residents with disabled or elderly loved ones might look to nursing home care as a means to ensure they will be properly cared for. Finding the right nursing home can be difficult, and many people have relied on the Agency for Healthcare Administration website, which claims to post a complete list of nursing home inspections for the public’s review. However, an investigative report by the Tampa Bay Times found that the website failed to include eight nursing homes at which major violations were uncovered during inspections.
Website failed to include all inspection records
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Agency for Healthcare Administration refers consumers to its website so that they can check nursing homes for violations. However, an investigative reporter reviewed the website and found that eight nursing homes were not included on the website despite having been found to have major violations. Once the reporter asked the agency why those reports were not listed, the agency posted them the following day.
Why were the records missing?
A spokesman for the Agency for Healthcare Administration claimed the nursing home violations were not posted because of a technological glitch. However, families have argued that failing to post failed nursing home inspections can be dangerous for families when they are looking for a safe place for their loved ones. Several of the nursing homes committed egregious violations, including nursing home abuse, neglect, and more.
While publicizing the nursing home inspection results is not required under state or federal law, Floridians rely on the information when making difficult decisions for their loved ones’ care. Referring families to the website to vet nursing homes without including all violation reports can give families a false sense of security if they choose a nursing home with unpublished violations.
