State to talk about inspector's role

[cougarnurse]

Well....maybe if they'd tell us, too: State to tell public about nursing home inspectors' role | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

The state agency that regulates Iowa's nursing homes is countering the industry's lobbying efforts with its own series of public forums.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has been facing criticism from industry officials and some state lawmakers who say the agency is too punitive in its regulation of nursing homes.

In response, the agency is planning to take its case directly to the public in a series of 17 forums to be held across Iowa over the next two months.

Dean Lerner, director of the inspections department, said he wants Iowa seniors, their relatives and their elected representatives to understand how and why his agency regulates nursing homes.

"We've never really done this before," he said. "Obviously, this is partly in response to the public forums - the legislative fundraisers and the informational sessions - of the Iowa Healthcare Association."

The Iowa Healthcare Association is the lobbying organization that represents many of the state's nursing homes. In recent weeks, it has staged 28 "legislative forums" around Iowa, protesting what it says is an overzealous inspections department.
The association has highlighted a $112,650 federal fine imposed against Friendship Manor of Grinnell earlier this year. That fine stems from an incident involving Ruth Louden, an 89-year-old resident of the home.

In March, Louden lost part of her left leg to gangrene while at Friendship Manor. She died three months later. State inspectors say they recommended the fine because Friendship Manor never performed basic, doctor-ordered checks of Louden's leg until an employee noticed the smell of "rotting meat."
The PowerPoint presentation used by the Iowa Healthcare Association in its meeting with lawmakers indicates the $112,650 fine threatens Friendship Manor's existence, but makes no mention of the gangrene that triggered the fine.

Lerner said he hopes his agency's public forums will give Iowa legislators and seniors a more complete understanding of the role played by state inspectors.

"We want people to know just who these inspectors are," he said. "They are our registered-nurse neighbors, and they are pretty darn experienced and pretty darn caring."
Lerner said he believes Iowa nursing homes are among the best in the nation and typically provide high-quality care. He said fines and other sanctions are focused on a relatively small number of poorly performing facilities.

Senate President John "Jack" Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, says that the inspections department seems to have "a 'gotcha' attitude" and that he'd like to see it take a "softer approach" to regulation.

Rep. Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, says the department needs to help nursing homes improve their care, not just punish them for their shortcomings. "That's what it's really all about," he said. "Lifting them up and improving the quality, instead of beating them down."
Lerner said invitations to the coming public forums are being sent to legislators, to the state network of Area Agencies on Aging and to AARP officials.

The Iowa Healthcare Association says some of the sanctions against Iowa homes are so severe that they discourage good facilities from accepting high-risk residents who may be prone to wandering or falling. In effect, the association argues, state inspectors are limiting older Iowans' access to health care.