Despite strong legal requirements for nursing homes to provide good care and dignified conditions for residents, the nursing home crisis continues. As a result, too many of our most vulnerable citizens suffer needlessly every day because nursing homes fail
to provide good care.

Concerns about growing healthcare expenditures, the rapidly aging baby boomer
generation and the persistence of serious, widespread problems for nursing home
residents all point to the urgent need to address problems in the nursing home system.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Les Estes, who tracks the state’s sex offenders says, “As a normal population would age, so does the sex offender population.” Many aging sex offenders are now in long-term care. A law that took effect in July requires checks for every new nursing home and assisted living admission in Virginia.

Stephen Morrisette, president of the Virginia Health Care Association says that screening of all new employees poses a struggle for nursing homes. “We are no different from any other employer,” he said. “It’s difficult. You can only go so far. People can be sued for giving a negative reference.”

Surveyors from the state Health Department found a host of problems, from unsafe conditions to poor record-keeping. A resident died in the home in May when he strangled in his nurse-call cord.