Iowa Nursing Homes Consistently Hit with Inspection Penalties

While most of the nursing homes In Iowa City have little trouble qualifying under federal quality ratings, two facilities in the area have been repeatedly cited for health inspection violations over the past three years

According to the Des Moines Register, the Windmill Manor nursing homehas been hit with a number of state and federal penalties for the ways it runs and maintains its facility. Between November 2010 and January 2012, the nursing home was cited for 33 health violations. As a result, it has also been designated a “one-star facility,” which is the lowest grade on the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMMS)one- to five-star grading scale.

The Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center has only fared slightly better in recent years, achieving a two-star rating that was attributed to poor health inspection scores. The facility was cited for eight health deficiencies in 2011 alone.

14 nursing homes in the Iowa City area are making the grade under federal quality ratings, but two facilities with higher-than-average health inspection deficiencies have consistently received failing scores over the past three years, an analysis of government ratings shows.

The star grading system takes into account health inspections, staffing ratios, and self-reported quality measures that are gathered through inspections and self-reporting. The system was introduced in 2008 by the CMMS to help consumers compare the safety of different nursing homes in their areas through an online database.

The other 12 Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the area were rated as at least a three-star facility, which qualifies them as being an average or above average facility.

“If you or a loved one has been injured due to nursing home abuse, contact Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a nursing home neglect lawsuit.