[CapeCodMermaid]

Scenario one- Hospital in Rhode Island operates on the WRONG side of a patient's brain- 3 different patients, 3 different times and gets a $50,000 fine.
Scenario two- Long Term Care Facility doesn't notify the MD in a timely manner of an abnormal lab where there was no negative outcome to the patient...gets A G tag.
Who said life was fair?

[Mulan]

What's an A G tag?

[caliotter3]

I agree with you CCM. There is something about this picture that just doesn't look, smell, or seem right in any sense. One of the reasons why so many nurses and CNAs also, chuck working in LTC. I had a DON, who resigned on a Friday afternoon (over a justified disagreement too many with the administrator). The survey that the facility was going through, mysteriously lengthened another six weeks while they did a thorough investigation of several skeletons in closets. Everyone said that the ex-DON gave the administrator and all of us, including the residents, a going away present. My question here: why were these skeletons not addressed in the course of day to day operations, but seemingly used in a retaliatory fashion? Everything the survey people looked into was valid and everyone knew it. But some of the things they were dinging the facility for were way too far picky and inconsequential it seemed. Like it was a punishment because they were forced to do extra work. If people could realistically follow the regulatory guidelines to a T in facilities, there would be far more people staying at their jobs there and continuing to try. Kudos to you for going back into that area of nursing.

[ingelein]

Yes something is rotton in Denmark or should I say the U.S. nursing home regulating agencies. LTC IS the most stringently regulated, but then the crazy state surveyors get attention deficit syndrome and get hung up on the most inane rediculous regs to ding the nursing home on. I am all for enforcing regs when they are TRULY warranted, and it seems that when it is truly warranted they let things go. I am NO fan of the state surveyors for this exact reason. There must be a regulating body in LTC, because private nursing home owners have not had a good track record in putting the resident first, but no one wants to have to dance around the regs that have no basis in reality. PS, GO PACKERS!!!!

[CapeCodMermaid]

Originally Posted by Mulan

What's an A G tag?

When DPH (department of public health) makes its annual survey of long term care facilities, they (try) to find things wrong. Each infraction has a tag number based on the myriad of state regulations. Each citation has a letter for scope and severity.
G does NOT mean good. It usually means actual harm. And believe me, sometimes the harm is really minimal.

PS GO PATS!

[Nascar nurse]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

Each infraction has a tag number based on the myriad of state regulations.

And I am seeing an increase trend in tagging the ONE infraction under 2, 3 or even 4 different tag numbers. They have taken "double dipping" to a whole new level in my area.

[Liberty Bellpn]

I saw something on one of the news shows reporting about the state being "too lenient" on nursing homes, since many facilities were deficiency free. This was maybe a year ago....often wondered if they are being pressured to crack down harder because of this?
No, it's not fair, and it seems they will just keep looking until they can find something to fault...

[ingelein]

Originally Posted by Liberty Bellpn

I saw something on one of the news shows reporting about the state being "too lenient" on nursing homes, since many facilities were deficiency free. This was maybe a year ago....often wondered if they are being pressured to crack down harder because of this?
No, it's not fair, and it seems they will just keep looking until they can find something to fault...

What I have seen personally in the last nursing home I worked in and was fired from is this-nurses were being PRESSURED to lie, falsify records, and do some things to ensure the facility was free of deficiencies, then when the nurse refused, they were fired in retaliation. That is part of my lawsuit, a BIG part.This needs to be discussed openly on these LTC forums,nurses have to stop doing the bidding of management IF it is illegal or unethical without the fear of retaliation. Nursing Home Reform Advocacy groups have told me they have heard the SAME complaint from nurses around the country. Now after saying this I will say that my respect for the regulating bodies is not great . They seem to get a bug up their you know what about something silly and let the REALLY important stuff go. It would be interesting to know if there really has been a backlash and the state IS clamping down because of these reports in the news, hmmm... makes one wonder.

[rjmolloy01]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

Scenario one- Hospital in Rhode Island operates on the WRONG side of a patient's brain- 3 different patients, 3 different times and gets a $50,000 fine.
Scenario two- Long Term Care Facility doesn't notify the MD in a timely manner of an abnormal lab where there was no negative outcome to the patient...gets A G tag.
Who said life was fair?

Hmmmmm so when they kill a few pts. they'll get a slap on the hand....