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GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY
As
a public watchdog organization, LTCCC fights to hold government
accountable. Through its research, scrutiny and subcommittee
work, LTCCC evaluates the effectiveness of governmental agencies
(particularly the New York State Department of Health, which
monitors long term care), recommends improvement where necessary
and makes public such analyses through media reports and educational
material for consumers.
Nursing
Home Complaints
LTCCC
has long been concerned that the State's complaint process
of investigating poor care claims made by residents, families
and facility staff has been generally ineffective, particularly
in the New York City, Westchester and Long Island regions
of the state. The rate of sustaining complaints against nursing
homes is much too low. Early research studies (see The
Nursing Home Complaint System: Does It Work? In Publications)
conducted by LTCCC indicate that these problems have long
been an inherent part of the system. This is a major problem
for nursing home consumers.
LTCCC works to improve this situation
by meeting with staff of CMS (Federal Centers of Medicare
and Medicaid Systems) that oversee the state’s ability
to handle complaints, to work to improve the State's nursing
home complaint process.
Nursing
Home Surveillance and Enforcement
Long concerned about the State's history of ineffective nursing
home surveillance and enforcement (see our studies In
Publications), LTCCC
continues to review the State’s record and lists all
nursing home enforcements every three months in its newsletter
and on its website.
The
Surveillance and Enforcement Subcommittee meets with CMS and the Office of the Attorney General to
improve the ability of government to identify care problems
and hold long term care providers accountable for the care
they give. While LTCCC has been successful in getting the
State to improve its enforcement record significantly as well
as to better train its surveyors, much more work is needed.
2005 ANNUAL REPORT CARD ON GOVERNMENT PROTECTION
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