A new report by the Government Accountability Office suggests California's system for inspecting nursing homes has plenty of room for improvement. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
The GAO study says between 2003 and 2005, California found serious deficiencies in only six percent of its nursing homes while the state of Connecticut found them in more than half of its facilities.
Pat McGuiness directs the non-profit California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.
McGuiness: "For the last, at least five, six years, and particularly over the last couple of years, the enforcement has been an absolute mess, and we have very little enforcement in California anymore. So this kind of just reinforces that view."
State officials say budget cuts and staffing shortages have curtailed nursing home inspections. But officials say the licensing division has made new hires and is poised for improvement.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
