Seniors Beware: Lower Standards of Care in Iowa Long-Term Care Facilities

You probably never imagined that you would be here, a victim of nursing home abuse in Iowa. Either yourself, your parent, or someone you love may have been hurt as a result of negligent care at a long-term care facility or nursing home.

If this is the case, you need to take a stand and not let that facility get away with poor standards, as someone else may be the next victim. Call an experienced Iowa nursing home abuse lawyer at Brady Preston Gronlund today to find out your rights. Also, order our FREE book Protecting Your Loved One in an Iowa Nursing Home, which discusses how to respond to nursing home problems and abuse.

Iowa Long-Term Care Facilities Providing Lower Standards

According to a recent survey by AARP Iowa, seniors are in favor of increasing regulations that govern nursing homes. In fact, "eighty percent of Iowa adults over 50 support strengthening enforcement of quality standards in nursing homes," says AARP Iowa State Director Bruce Koeppl.

Although Iowa seniors want higher standards for these facilities, Department of Inspections and Appeals Director Rod Roberts eliminated 10 of the 38 state inspectors whose job it is to monitor the 442 nursing homes in Iowa. The department also cut two of the four lawyers who prosecute nursing home abuse complaints. Officials say that these jobs were eliminated due to the state budget deficit.

However, there are negligent assisted living centers and long-term care facilities throughout Iowa that need better oversight in order to protect the seniors who are living at these facilities.

Iowa Facility Dropped License to Get Away with Lower Standard of Care

Dubuque Retirement Community was the largest assisted living center in Iowa, but now the facility has dropped its license. In 2008 and 2009, they were fined for a number of areas in which they failed to meet government standards, such as problems with staffing and failure to properly train staff, medication errors, food issues and other areas in which they did not provide adequate care to their residents.

Although the facility chose to drop their license so they didn't have to meet government restrictions, they are still operating their facility. They are now acting as landlords to the senior residents who are living there. They have found a loophole to continue operating while avoiding government regulations and providing a lower standard of care to Iowa seniors in this facility.

If facilities are allowed to operate under this loophole and if there are fewer government inspectors, how will Iowa long-term care facilities be checked regularly to protect their vulnerable residents?

If you or your loved one has suffered neglect, medication errors, bed sores, or any other type of nursing home abuse in Iowa, please call a qualified Cedar Rapids nursing home abuse lawyer at Brady Preston Gronlund today for a free consultation at (319) 866-9277.