Scotch Meadows seems to have been short one person, but even if the personnel quotient had met current law, it would have been inadequate to the actual circumstances. The panel will almost surely recommend stiffer penalties. It will look at whether the state should take over inspections from counties. We take no position on that, but the numbers have been historically skimpy, no matter who's in charge. It will determine whether increases in state payments are needed.
Common sense says yes.
It is easy at first blush to argue that operators of nursing homes and rest homes ought to do more than just meet the minimum legal requirements anyway. Some do, and if money didn't matter, more might. But the reality is that people shop for care in these facilities just as they do for any other commodity. If only one home in a community takes the minimum standards as its norm, it puts enormous financial pressure on the others to follow suit. Even without anyone ascribing greed or evil intent to home owners or operators, that kind of dollar squeeze too often leads to practices that would shock most of us if we knew more about them.