Congress strengthened federal nursing home standards back in 1987. However, congressional auditors have tracked an oversight system that appears to be unreliable. There seems to be a disconnect between federal and state inspection systems. The General Accounting Office recently reported that federal authorities rarely conduct their own inspections and rely on spot checks made by state monitors on their normal rounds. If nursing homes know when to expect an inspection, they are more likely to be on their best, perhaps not standard, behavior.
Taxpayers have a stake in the system, too.
That's a lot of money. It seems that it should buy adequate care for the elderly and disabled from sufficient staff. This page was created and is maintained by the Office of Senator Chuck Grassley.