Monterey, CA Nursing Home Oversight Lacking, Says New Report

It was not surprising to read the story in the Monterey Herald entitled "Oversight of nursing home chains lacking."  This is a sad situation, and one of the reasons that we try to enable seniors to remain in their own homes and independent.  The report, which was an analysis done by the Sacramento Bee, said that  the California Department of Public Health does not try and determine how nursing homes compare on key quality measure even though this information could be potentially life-saving for some seniors.  The Bee looked at 1,260 nursing homes and found that one Pennsylvania company operator has 15 nursing homes and rehabilitation centers in California which had abuse rates 7x the national average.  Others use restraints when not necessary and the study found that it's very difficult for consumers to find out the quality of care.  Many nursing homes appear to be independently owned but are actually part of a major chain with a bad record.