Web site shares news on long-term care

Gov. Bob Holden announced Jan. 6 that Missourians now have online information available to help them make informed decisions about long-term care facilities, including nursing homes.

Missourians can go to www.dhss.state. mo.us/showmelongtermcare to find information about a facility's latest inspection, including whether the facility had any violations and if it corrected those violations.

"The most important tool available to a person choosing a long-term care facility is information," Holden said. "Missourians now will have the information available to help them determine the quality of a nursing home, skilled nursing facility or another type of long-term care facility. This objective information is especially important as people deal with the often emotional situation of selecting a facility for themselves or a family member."

The inspection report is the first phase of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' Web-site project ordered by Holden last fall. This first phase references whether the health and senior services department found a violation during the latest inspection. The consumer can then call (573) 526-3050 to find out what the exact violation was.

If consumers cannot find a recent inspection listed, then an inspection likely took place recently and the report is being finalized, or an inspection is scheduled soon. The inspection report will be added to the Web site as soon as it is available.

In the second phase of the project, actual violations will be listed on the Web site. In the third phase, the Web site will include information about consumer complaints against the facility.

Holden said the Web site is one tool the state is using to address the issue of the quality of long-term care facilities in Missouri.

In December, Holden outlined a proposal he and Lt. Governor Maxwell will pursue in the legislative session to seek tougher standards on long-term care facilities, including:

expanding the ability of the Department of Health and Senior Services to identify and bar persons who have abused, neglected or financially exploited seniors from caring for the elderly in health care settings;

allowing the department to revoke a nursing facility license for the same reasons they would deny issuing a license in the first place; and

enhancing the ability of the state to levy civil penalties against a nursing facility that is out of compliance with state regulations and then to collect those fines that are levied.