94 Percent of Nursing Homes Violated Federal Standards in 2007

Chrissie Cole

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Nine out of 10 nursing homes in the U.S. last year were cited for violating federal health and safety standards, says a recently released report by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

The study found 94% of for-profit homes had received citations relating to problems including medication errors, poor nutrition, abuse and neglect of patients and more.

Overall, 88% of non-profit nursing homes and 91% of government-run homes received citations.

About 20 percent of the more than 37,000 complaints inspectors received last year concerned abuse or neglect of patients.

Deficiency rates varied in each state, for instance: some 76% of Rhode Island nursing homes received a deficiency citation, while 100% of the nursing homes in states such as Alaska and Idaho were cited, the report said.

More than 1.5 million Americans live in nursing homes and as a condition of housing Medicaid and Medicare patients, the nation’s nursing homes must meet federal standards. The federal program costs taxpayers more than $75 billion a year.