A new report by AARP New York reveals that the state’s primary oversight program for nursing homes and long-term care facilities is inadequate, with thousands of complaints from residents being filed but not addressed.
The report highlights 5,000 complaints made between October 2021 and June 2022, a 37% increase in the last three months of the period.
The data was compiled using information collected by the State Office for the Aging. Advocates for older New Yorkers and nursing home residents are calling for increased funding for the state’s nursing home ombudsman program, which would allow for more staff to conduct weekly visits at every nursing home and adult care facility in New York.
While the state Senate proposed an increase in funding, the state Assembly provided a larger increase of adding $12.5 million. The hope is that the program will be able to hire 235 full-time staff with the additional funding.
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