60% of Massachusetts nursing homes have been found to advertise misleading statements about their services. A review by the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire has reported that these nursing homes have claimed that they can meet the care needs of dementia patients when, in fact, this cannot be further from the truth. Inspections proved that more than 100 of these facilities did not meet state requirements.
Massachusetts had new rules implemented in 2014 due to the state’s lack of nursing homes that provided dementia care. All 414 long-term care facilities in the state were mandated to ensure that their workers underwent specific dementia-care training by last November. They were also required to provide specialized activities and safety standards for residents with dementia.
State Sen. Patricia Jehlen warned that the number of inspectors for the Department of Public Health may not be enough to monitor all of the facilities. The state was similarly criticized in February.
Nursing homes must be able to meet the needs of their residents and strive to improve or maintain their quality of life. If a facility is unable to provide specialized care that a certain patient needs, it should not advertise claims that are misleading. Long-term care facilities that cannot satisfy the care needs of their residents place these vulnerable individuals at unnecessary risk that can lead to extremely deleterious consequences.