Many of the surveyors are registered nurses. They also make follow-up visits to assure that problems which have been identified are corrected. This fact sheet describes the role that surveyors have in assuring quality health care. These rules promote quality care, ensure your rights as a resident are respected, and set minimum standards for every department in the facility. The surveyors do their jobs by visiting your nursing home and determining whether it is following the regulations.
Routine inspections take place on a yearly basis and usually last for several days.
If problems with care are found, surveyors will notify the nursing home and require the problems to be corrected. Surveyors may also visit a home in response to a specific complaint. Complaint investigations may take from a few hours to several days. Surveyors use many methods to evaluate the quality of care you are receiving. You may see a surveyor speaking to staff members, visitors, or simply observing.