KDSN RADIO News
State auditor cites lag in Iowa nursing home inspections
A report from State Auditor Rob Sand’s office indicates state officials are not inspecting Iowa nursing homes as often as required by federal law. Nursing homes are to be inspected, on average, every 12.9 months. Sand found the average in Iowa is about four months — or 25% longer than that.
“We also took into account the national pause on inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure that we are accounting for this fairly,” Sand said.
Iowa had about 46 inspectors overseeing more than 400 nursing homes in the previous fiscal year and this spring Republican lawmakers decided that was sufficient. Sand disagrees. “If we’re way below the average for nursing home inspections, why would we not fund additional inspections? The entire purpose of the inspection is to make people understand that someone may be coming to take a look,” Sand said. “That helps them do a better job of taking care of our elderly and vulnerable residents. It seems to be that that should be a priority.”
The most recent federal data shows nearly 20,000 residents living in Iowa nursing homes are certified to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Staffing at Iowa’s nursing homes remains an issue. Sand’s review found, for example, that 54% of nurses who had worked in a nursing home quit the facility within the past 12 months. “We thought this information would be hopefully useful to policymakers as they decide whether or not they want to do something about the crisis in Iowa’s nursing homes,” Sand said.
Sand made his comments earlier today during an online news conference. A spokesperson for the state agency that oversees Iowa nursing homes was not immediately available for comment.
