We all know that nursing homes can be dangerous, and can neglect, or even abuse residents. But how bad are they? And more specifically, how does Nevada do, in comparison with other states in the country?
Study Shows Nevada Near the Bottom
A study in late 2023, sought out to gather just this information.
The study ranked states’ nursing home facilities based on five factors:
- Affordability, including availability for those who may not be able to afford nursing home care;
- Amount of choices that families have;
- The safety of facilities including preparedness for emergencies;
- How much support facilities give to the families of residents;
- How integrated the local community is with nursing homes, such as the level of coordination between homes and local government agencies.
The study ranked all 50 states and broke them down into tiers. Nevada did not fare very well. Based on the study, Nevada ranked 44th of 50 states, putting them in the second-worst tier in the country. Sadly, Nevada ranked near dead last in affordability and access, as well as choice, and safety, where Nevada was 48th of 50 states.
The best or highest-performing states were Minnesota, Washington State, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and Colorado.
Things Haven’t Changed Since 2013
In 2013, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that almost every single nursing home in Nevada was cited by health inspectors for some kind of violation for failing a safety inspection.
The report noted that bed sores, a known killer of nursing home patients who are neglected and not attended to, were “frequently” found on residents of Nevada nursing homes, and a third of Nevada nursing homes were cited with severe violations, which are those where a resident suffered bodily injury or was in imminent danger of sustaining imminent danger or injury.
The report noted that some residents were found having not been able to have bowel movements for days because of the lack of care in the home, or patients who were discharged from Nevada nursing homes, who were not ready to be discharged.
In some cases, patients’ feeding tubes were not being managed, and medical devices, like catheters, were not being maintained.
How Much Direct Contact or Care?
Direct care measures how much time patients in nursing homes get with nursing home staff or medical personnel. The report noted that residents in Nevada get just over two hours per day of contact daily — a woefully inadequate amount, considering staff are needed to help residents eat, bathe, have bowel movements, or get dressed.
Although now over ten years old, that new report still holds true today, based on the abysmal nursing home ratings that Nevada continues to receive.
