Inspections for Food in Nursing Homes and Hospitals Suffer Budget Cuts

According to an article by CBS 4 in Tallahasse, FL, disturbing findings have been released that in almost all nursing homes and hospitals in Florida the food being served to the residents is not being inspected.

The inspections were not taking place as a result of budget limitations and as a way to save money. There have been at least 15 outbreaks of food borne illnesses since 1995. Experts have stated that people who reside in nursing homes are the most susceptible to food borne incidents.  Day care centers were also feeling the result of the budget problems, but the Department of Children and Families have temporarily taken over the task of inspecting the food preparations in day care centers. The decision to end the inspections was a result of a lack of funding from the federal government and their decision to give more inspection authority to the states. Before the cuts, the health department had inspected the nursing homes and hospitals four times a year. The governor’s spokesperson has stated that they are working together with multiple agencies in order to re-examine the cuts they made for next year. 

When you entrust a loved one in a nursing home or hospital your suspect them to uphold a high standard for care. While some nursing homes and hosptials take pride in the cleanliness and the quality of food in the hospital, there are some nursing homes that fall through the cracks and are responsible for the unnecessary suffering of hundreds of patients and residents. If your loved one has fallen victim to food poisoning caused by hospital or nursing home food, then contacting an Arizona personal injury lawyer can help bring these negligent parties to justice. 

Does Arizona Need "The Guardian" Blog?

You be the judge.

There are far too many families who are cast into the world of long term care without a lifeline or even a compass.

In my experience, there are no primers on what families can expect when a loved one is in long term care. Nor are there any guides to enable families to protect their loved ones from nursing home neglect or abuse.

This blog is for them.

There are also far too many nurses and nursing aides, working in long term care, who are victims of corporate financial decisions that make it impossible for them to provide quality care.

These health care professionals often have limited access to vital information thus preventing them from providing optimal patient care.  There are also few opportunities for these caregivers to engage in candid dialog with other professionals in a non-threatening environment.

This blog is for them.

Our Next Article.

Our next article will discuss the risks to patients in nursing homes and the principal causes of those risks.

The “Guardian Blog” will provide information to help both families and professionals assess and improve the quality of nursing home care in Arizona and the Guardian Blog will encourage dialog with and among its readers.