MAK-AIRS

New Abuse Icon on Nursing Home Compare

To better inform the public about nursing homes where abuse and neglect occurs the Medicare.gov/ Nursing Home Compare website has a new red hand abuse icon (pictured here).

Every nursing home resident should receive safe care and be treated with respect at all times. Abuse and neglect are never acceptable. Beginning October 23, 2019, the red hand icon was added to the Nursing Home Compare website, whenever a facility is cited at inspection for: 1) abuse that led to harm of a resident within the past year; and/or 2) abuse that could have potentially led to harm of a resident in each of the last two years. To ensure the latest information is available to the public, the icon will be updated monthly, as inspection results are posted. Consumers will have this important information sooner as they consider their long-term care options.

Better public information, such as use of the icon, was prompted by requests from government oversight entities, congressional members and advocates. If you or someone you know is or has been abused in an adult care facility, report it to local law enforcement by calling 911 and to the Adult Abuse hotline in your state. In Kansas, call 1-800-842-0078. In Missouri, call 1-800-392-0210. In Arkansas, call 1-800-582-4887.  If it is an emergency, or a crime is suspected, call 911 immediately.

Abuse is defined as the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish. Abuse may be verbal, sexual, physical, mental and financial.

Nursing homes cited for abuse are required to take steps to protect their residents. If you’re considering a nursing home that’s been cited for abuse, we encourage you to ask the administrator and staff what corrections have been made, and what they’re doing to keep residents safe from abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or exploitation.

Abuse or neglect can happen at any time. The icon is a very positive step in the right direction to alert residents and the public. It provides accountability by the nursing home where abuse or neglect has occurred. Here is the link for Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare:  https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html?

Note: If a facility is NOT certified by Medicare or Medicaid, it is not included on Nursing Home Compare. Those nursing homes should be licensed by the state.