Five nursing homes in area fail to meet federal standards

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 | 10:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The nearly new Nevada State Veterans Nursing Home in Boulder City failed to comply with important federal nursing home operation and patient care standards, according to a state survey.

Of 27 nursing homes surveyed, the Nevada State Veterans Nursing Home is one of five Southern Nevada nursing homes that failed to comply with some of the federal standards. There are 43 nursing homes in the state.

Besides the Veterans Home in Boulder City, four others in Clark County were listed as needing improvement and not in substantial compliance with all regulations: Cheyenne Residential and Nursing Facility in North Las Vegas; College Park Rehabilitation Center and Eljen Convalescent Hospital and Retirement Center, both in Las Vegas; and Henderson Healthcare Center.

The inspections, carried out by the state Bureau of Licensure and Certification during an 18-month period that ended in December 2003, cited the Boulder City nursing home as needing improvement in patient care, quality of life, dietary services and administration.

"When you open a new facility, you're not going to get an A-plus," Gary Bermeosolo, administrator of the Veterans Home since April 2003, said of the state ratings.

The Veterans Home was inspected Sept. 2, 2003, and officials found the home failed to "give each resident care and services to get or keep the highest quality of life possible."

It had also failed to write and use policies that forbid mistreatment, neglect and abuse of residents and theft of residents property, the report noted.

Inspectors said the home did not "make sure that residents with loss of bladder control receive treatment or service to prevent infections and help get normal bladder control" and that the home failed to "store, cook and give out food in a safe and clean way."

The home reported that it corrected those deficiencies and others on Oct. 10, 2003.

According to a federal Medicare report, the Boulder City home had 10 deficiencies, compared to the average of 11 found in all Nevada nursing homes. The national average is seven deficiencies.

"I can't disagree with the findings," Bermeosolo said, adding that things have improved in the past year.

"If you talk to the relatives and patients, you will find them quite pleased," he said. "The care is good but it can be better."

Bermeosolo also said that the staff has stabilized, with less than a 20 percent turnover compared with a nationwide average of 100 percent.

He said he wants to hire two more activities assistants to beef up the schedule of activities. In addition, he plans to hire additional nurses when the third and final wing is scheduled to open in July.

On a positive note, the inspections also showed that 10 of the nursing homes in Clark County attained satisfactory ratings in all of the six categories measured.

"We have made some good strides in Las Vegas," Pamela Graham, administrator of the bureau, said Tuesday.

Charles Perry, executive director of the Nevada Health Care Association, said a new payment schedule by Medicaid has allowed the nursing homes to be more competitive in hiring staff.

"For years, we maintained that Medicaid was not paying enough to take care the patients," he said. Medicaid changed its method of payment to allow reimbursement based on the seriousness of the condition of the patient, he said.

In addition, the 2003 Legislature passed a law that allowed the industry to get more federal funds, some of which was spent on salaries and benefits.

"The number of complaints have dropped remarkably," said Perry.

The state agency is charged with ensuring that nursing homes comply with federal standards in six categories: patient care; quality of life; physical environment; dietary services; doctor, nursing and rehabilitation services; and administration.

The report rates the homes in those six categories with three distinct grades: satisfactory, meaning they meet most federal regulations; needing improvement, meaning they are not in substantial compliance with all regulations; and the last category of substandard quality of care.

The only two homes in the state that received a substandard rating in quality of patient care were The White Pine Care Center in Ely and the Physicians Hospital for Extended Care in Reno.

Graham said Manor Health Care in Las Vegas received a substandard rating in patient care in the prior survey but was upgraded to "needs improvement" in the current inspection.

One of the problems, Graham said, is getting and keeping good staff. She said most nursing homes face a turnover problem.

The bureau usually issues a report covering a six-month period but the duration of this survey covered 18 months, Graham said. These are "rigorous" inspections, she said, noting that the bureau is trying to improve the care of patients and not focus on violations.

Las Vegas homes that gained a satisfactory rating across the board were: Gaye Haven Intermediate Care Facility; Harmon Medical & Rehabilitation Center; Las Vegas Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center; Silver Hills Health Care Center; and Silver Ridge Health Care Center and Torrey Pines Care Center.

Boulder City Hospital Inc. and Mountainview Care Center in Boulder City and the TLC Care Center in Henderson also received satisfactory ratings in all six categories.

Detailed reports on Nevada nursing homes are available on the Web site medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp.