The U.S. experienced its worst public health crisis in the early 21st century. The disaster hit the nursing homes very hard with thousands of elderly residents falling ill and dying in their homes. In response, the U.S. government announced a series of renewed overhaul actions to take in 2022. Nursing home officials in New Mexico now have to complete more detailed reviews and reexaminations of the quality of their nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Overhaul of nursing homes in the U.S.
The government is planning to prevent another healthcare crisis that results in thousands of preventable deaths and illnesses. They have outlined a list of actions for inspecting nursing home facilities, making sure that the staff-to-patient ratio is adequate and other tasks. The problem with this widespread plan is the lack of funding for reexamining every nursing home in the country.
Providing federal oversight
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is the main organization that reports and evaluates incidents of nursing home negligence. They provide annual reports that help individuals and families compare and select suitable facilities. They have developed a five-star rating system to evaluate the quality of nursing homes in the U.S. Each home has an overall rating from one to five stars and separate stars for the home’s staffing, compliance with healthcare laws and enforcement of quality measures.
Maintaining the overall quality of nursing homes is required by law to protect the health and safety of their highly vulnerable elderly residents. The federal government always has a list of stringent requirements that providers have to follow to stay in business. During a public health crisis, the government increases the range of actions that are required to inspect long-term residential homes.
