DES MOINES, Iowa — A study done by State Auditor Rob Sand showed that Iowa is “failing to meet the federal mandate for inspections of nursing homes that are certified to accept Medicaid or Medicare.”
In a Monday Zoom presentation, Sand said that nursing home exams happen about 17.1 months on average in Iowa, while the federal law says they should happen every 12.9 months. It was the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that Sand got the information from.
The study also said that Iowa had the 46th most licensed nursing staff per resident in the country. Also, almost 11 out of 20 nurses who worked at a licensed nursing home in Iowa a year ago are no longer working at those nursing homes.
“Iowa has a workforce crisis, and the legislature and governor have spent a lot of time and energy on other things, like culture wars, instead of bringing more people to the state of Iowa to do the work that needs to be done,” Sand said.
He also said that the pay is very low.
In answer to what the Auditor said, the State Department of Inspections and Appeals put out a statement.
According to Stefanie Bond, Communications Director for the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, the State Auditor’s report today was misleading because it used old and/or wrong data and wrong measurements of success. “If the auditor had called our office and worked with us like he had in the past, we would have given his office the correct federal performance measurements and up-to-date inspection data.”
Bond said the study was a waste of money from taxpayers. Also, she said that as of now this year, 99% of nursing homes in Iowa have been inspected within the required 15.9-month period, and the last 1% will be done by the end of the month.
The Older Iowans Legislature met on Monday to talk about nursing homes and in-home care for adults in Iowa. What problems do seniors in Iowa face? That group looks into them and tries to write a bill when the State Legislature meets again.
Seniors Iowa’s President-Elect said, “Everyone wants the nursing home to be right next to them so they can go see their loved ones.” “So I don’t think the problem is with the number of nursing homes, but with where to find them.”