Too Many Patients, Not Enough Staff

A $2 million settlement on a class-action lawsuit filed against the corporate owner of nursing homes in Southern California was announced this week. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents at one of the facilities owned by Brea-based Sun Mar Healthcare, Inc., which owns 17 nursing homes. The lawsuit alleged that Sun Mar defrauded residents and violated health and safety codes. Sun Mar officials allegedly promised residents a level of care they knew they couldn’t provide, given their level of staffing. A spokesman from the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform stated that nursing homes are not precluded from taking on more patients than they can adequately provide for, a practice the organization deems tantamount to fraud.

Inspection and investigation records obtained during the course of the lawsuit indicated that one of Sun Mar’s homes had 77 health and safety violations from 2004-2008. Nursing home advocates strongly recommend that you thoroughly research a home’s history of health and safety violations with the California Department of Public Health. They also suggest that you ask about the staff to resident ratio. Spend some time observing the staff interaction with residents. Does it appear that call bells and resident requests are responded to in a timely manner? Does there appear to be adequate staffing for the number of residents?

Other observations you should make regarding the staff during your visit include the following:

• Do staff members treat the residents with dignity and respect?
• Do staff members speak directly to the residents, or do they treat them as if they were not present?
• Do staff members respect the privacy of residents? Do they knock before entering?
  Do the nurses and administrators know the residents?
• Is everyone friendly and receptive to questions?
• What languages does the staff speak in addition to English?
• Does the facility conduct background checks on staff prior to hiring?
• Are there therapists on staff or does the facility contract out for therapists?
• Is there a social worker on staff? Full or part-time?
• Are there permanent full-time nurses and nurse assistants (CAN’s) on staff? Or registry nurses and aides?

Keep in mind these are simply some of the observations you will want to note during your visit. Inadequate staffing has a direct impact on the quality of care received. Nursing homes promise to provide a high standard of care, but often fail to do so. Understaffed facilities have higher incidences of pressure sores, falls and other injuries.

Thanks for reading. If you have a question or comment, feel free to reply to this posting, or send me an e-mail. If you suspect a loved one has been harmed by negligence, neglect or abuse in a nursing home, contact me for immediate assistance.