Michigan’s nursing home ranking slightly increased in this year’s nursing home report card, but was unable to avoid an overall failing grade for the third consecutive report card, reports Families for Better Care, a national nursing home resident advocacy group based in Austin. The group published its third state-by-state nursing home report card by analyzing eight federal measures to gauge nursing home quality.
The state’s grade was buoyed by scoring passing grades in all staffing measures, but that improvement failed to be enough to offset the state’s poor performance in enforcement and advocacy categories.
“A glaringly high percentage of Michigan’s nursing homes continue to be breeding grounds of nursing home neglect and abuse,” said Brian Lee, the group’s executive director. “Dangerous nursing home care has become almost infectious in the Wolverine State—it must stop.”
According to the report card, only four percent of Michigan’s nursing homes were capable of scoring a deficiency free inspection while more than 90 percent of the state’s homes had complaints investigated and verified by local ombudsmen.
“We hope this failing nursing home report card serves as a wake up call for Governor Whitmer and Michigan lawmakers,” said Lee. “They can reverse the state’s trend of nursing home neglect by mandating, funding, and enforcing a tough staffing standard—the residents sorely need the help.”
Michigan’s 2019 Nursing Home Report Card is available for download at http://www.nursinghomereportcards.com.
ABOUT FAMILIES FOR BETTER CARE
Families for Better Care, Inc. is a non-profit citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of the conditions in our nation’s nursing homes and developing solutions for improving quality of life and care. For more information, visit http://familiesforbettercare.com.
