Ore. Nursing Homes Overstate Staff Levels at Twice National Average
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Photo credit: iStock
Inflated staff numbers have resulted in customers believing patients are getting far more attention than they really are, according to a new study by the Center for Public Integrity.
The overstated staff levels can mislead consumers, according to Mary Beth Williams, a public policy associate with the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
“What’s happening right now is [that consumers] are basing [their decisions] on inaccurate and faulty information,” Williams said.
The Center for Public Integrity reported that the distorted staffing levels were rampant across the country. In Oregon, staffing was over reported by 13 percent, more than twice the average for the nation of 5 percent.
Accurate information about staff levels is vital for picking the right nursing home, Charlene Harrington, professor emeritus at the University of California at San Francisco School of Nursing, said.
“It’s one of the most critical factors [for evaluating nursing homes],” Harrington said. “There are hundreds of studies showing the importance of having enough staff and a well-trained staff.”
Nursing homes report their staffing levels as part of a federally mandated survey from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The survey only looks at a two week window before CMS conducts it's yearly health, staff, and quality inspections, Harrington said.
"Nursing homes generally know when the inspections are coming and increase staff [for the inspections] then let them go afterwards,” Harrington said.
This creates an illusion of higher nurses per patient year round in the survey, according to Harrington.
The staff levels show up on government websites that compare and rank nursing homes.
Oregon Nursing Homes
Of the 65 nursing homes evaluated in Oregon by Center for Public Integrity, 41 had inflated staff levels. The highest was Town Center Village in Happy Valley, which reported 183 percent more staff hours that it normaly provides, according to the Center for Public Integrity.
Shirley Dethloff, administrator of Care Center East Nursing Home in Portland, said people shouldn’t compare the CMS reports with actual staff levels.
"It’s not even counting the same thing,” Dethloff said. “The survey counts way more people.”
CMS has been aware of the inconsistency in reporting, but until recently has been unable to change it, Williams said.
In 2012, a provision of the Affordable Healthcare Act stipulated the current reporting methods be replaced with more accurate payroll records.
However, CMS could not implement any changes until the IMPACT Act, passed this year to help care providers who participate in Medicare. The act stipulated $11 million to funding a conversion of reporting standards. CMS is currently in the early stages of implementing a new strategy, according to Williams.
“It was a critical victory for getting that info [on staffing levels] and make it practical as soon as possible,” Williams said
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