Nov 20, 2019

Government nursing home database flags 5% of facilities for abuse or neglect

New Jersey, Morristown, nursing home residents

New Jersey, Morristown, nursing home residents. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A government nursing home database has begun flagging those recently cited for abuse or neglect, the Wall Street Journal reports.

By the numbers: Of the 15,262 facilities in the database, 760 — or about 5% — have been flagged with a red icon.

  • The marks are updated monthly, and go away after the facility goes a year without an abuse citation.

What they're saying: Nursing home industry executives said the marks were misleading and could damage facilities' reputations, while consumer advocates pointed out that many cases of abuse go undiscovered or unreported.

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