Nursing homes are inspected annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  The Department of Health has been given the responsibility of inspecting Pennsylvania’s nursing homes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  The CMS is the component of the federal government's Department of Health and Human Services that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The Department of Health conducts inspections (known as surveys) in nursing homes to make sure they are following state and federal regulations.  Nursing homes that have a history of serious problems are inspected more frequently.

For complaints regarding a Long Term Care facility or Nursing Home call: 1-800-254-5164.  For other inquiries, call (717)787-1816.

The regulations cover a wide range of aspects of resident life, from specifying standards for the safe storage and preparation of food to protecting residents from physical or mental abuse or inadequate care practices.  There are over 150 regulatory standards that nursing homes must meet at all times.

During the nursing home inspection, surveyors try to determine whether the nursing home provides a good balance of quality of life and quality of care for residents.  The inspection team observes resident care processes, staff-resident interaction and environment. 

The inspection team includes a registered nurse and may include a nutritionist or social worker.  The composition of the team is unique to each facility and is determined by the facility history regarding past problems.  In addition, fire safety specialists evaluate whether a nursing home meets standards for safe construction.  Surveys usually cover several days and can take place at any time.  Surveys are not announced in advance so inspectors they can see how a typical day might be for the residents.  

When the surveyors have made enough observations to complete the survey tasks, they write an official report.  The surveyors write a description of the problems, called a “statement of deficiencies,” a copy of which is sent to the nursing home.  The nursing home must then submit in writing their proposed solutions to the problems; this is called a “plan of correction.” 

Depending on the seriousness of the deficiencies, different consequences may result.  For example, the nursing home may be fined, may be denied new admissions, may be assigned a temporary manager, may be issued a provisional license, may have a state monitor installed, or may lose its right to participate in the federal Medicare or state Medicaid programs. 

Nursing homes must have notices posted to tell you where the survey results are kept.   You can also view these reports on the Department of Health’s website.  In addition, many nursing facilities participate in voluntary quality assurance programs.  One example is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Long Term Care Program.  This accreditation program evaluates facilities' operations based on a monitoring system to measure the facility's performance.

If you have other questions about a Pennsylvania nursing home, contact Munley, Munley, & Cartwright.  We have offices conveniently located in Scranton, Stroudsburg, Carbondale, Plains, Hazleton, Harrisburg and Hamlin. Please call our Pennsylvania nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 318-LAW1 or contact us online.  Our PA Personal Injury attorneys are here to answer your questions and discuss how to protect your legal rights. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through teamwork and the use of our considerable resources and experience.