Auditor finds state falls short on long-term care oversight
VTDigger
Vermont state regulators have been treating rule-breaking at residential care homes and assisted living residences with less urgency than is required for skilled nursing homes, according to a report released Wednesday by the Office of the State Auditor.
These generally smaller facilities also aren’t getting annual inspection visits that nursing homes do, and as required by state law, the report said. Plus, the follow-up to ensure problems noted during visits are fixed is also less consistent. That’s true even though a slightly greater number of older Vermonters live in such facilities — around 3,300 versus just under 3,000 in nursing homes.
“I was really struck by the difference in the model,” state Auditor Doug Hoffer said about the findings. “The whole process is so starkly different then what they do for nursing homes.”