NEW JERSEY NURSING HOMES FEDERAL AUDIT REPORT SAYS FACILITIES HAD VIOLATIONS INCLUDING LIFE SAFETY, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND INFECTION CONTROLS

RISKAlert #1783 October 5, 2023

The audit of at least 20 of the most problematic facilities audited by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), with the agency noting that its report was, therefore, limited in scope. The select facilities were chosen because they had multiple violations or served high-risk populations.? Some of the violations included blocked emergency exits, defective power generators, missing carbon monoxide detectors and lack of effective COVID-19 protocols.?

As a result, the health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors at the 20 nursing homes are at an increased risk during a fire or other emergency, or in the event of an infectious disease outbreak,” the OIG’s report read.

Frequent management and staff turnover were cited as primary reasons for the lack of awareness and failure to address federal requirements, the OIG’s report concluded, highlighting several factors contributing to these deficiencies. The OIG has made several recommendations to improve compliance and correct the violations.?

The audit, found that all 20 nursing homes examined in the state had deficiencies in these critical areas, posing an increased risk to the health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors. In 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated regulations aimed at improving protections for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, particularly those residing in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes.

Nursing homes were mandated to adhere to stricter standards for sprinkler systems, smoke detector coverage, emergency preparedness plans, and the implementation of infection control programs.

THE RESULTS:

During the unannounced site visits, inspectors found a total of 363 deficiencies across the 20 nursing homes. These included 148 deficiencies related to life safety, 152 related to emergency preparedness, and 63 linked to infection control.

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