Serious Nursing Home Violations Increase by 22 Percent

Chrissie Cole

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Serious conditions and citations at U.S. nursing homes rose by 22 percent from 2000 to 2006, according to analysis by USA Today.

"It's not that the quality of care has gone down but we are being more rigorous in our enforcement," Jeffrey Hammond of the New York health department told USA Today.

The U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, who regulates nursing home, shows citations for putting patients in serious jeopardy increased by 22 percent from 2000 to 2006.

Many states increased inspections in nursing homes during those years. Officials issued nearly 2,000 citations at 850 of the nation's 16,000 nursing homes, last year alone.

Often times, such citations are the result of physical and/or the sexual abuse of patients, or they are not given necessary medications. In such cases the result is fines being issued or the home is banned from accepting Medicaid funds for new patients.