The Senate Special Committee on Aging held a “Residents at Risk: The Strained Nursing Home Inspection System and the Need to Improve Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability” hearing on May 18 and released of a report by the Committee’s Majority staff based on findings from their review of over 2,000 pages of state documents and data.

LeadingAge followed up with committee members and submitted written testimony on the report that explores the U.S.’s strained nursing home inspection system on May 19. Our commentary raises issues around staffing shortages, funding needs, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s oversight responsibilities of state survey agencies.  We also respond to some of the concerns and recommendations in the committee’s investigative report, “Uninspected and Neglected: Nursing Home Inspection Agencies are Severely Understaffed and Putting Residents at Risk.”

Additional hearing materials can be found here and the Committee report here.