10 nursing home inspectors let go (28 inspectors left 2 handle 442 nursing homes about 30,000 live)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110216/NEWS01/702169826/0#10-nursing-home-inspectors-let-go

Published Wednesday February 16, 2011

DES MOINES (AP) — Iowa has cut the jobs of more than a fourth of the inspectors who keep watch on nursing homes.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has trimmed 10 jobs. That takes the statewide total to 28 inspectors to handle 442 nursing homes where about 30,000 people live.

Five months ago, Iowa cited a shortage of state inspectors in warning federal officials that the state was close to falling short of federal standards for oversight of the homes.

The 10 workers were paid about $500,000 total. Only $125,000 came from state sources. The rest is federal support.

[gblady]

1. similar to what's happened in Wash St.

our office of NH surveyors was cut from 6 districts handling the state down to 3...
the head of our district office spoke at our last Long term care ombudsman meeting
about the effects of the budget cuts.....it's not pretty. Our elders and the severely
disabled....at the bottom of the priority list .....again.