Many Nursing Homes in Milwaukee, Throughout Wisconsin Rated as Below Average

An investigation by WTMJ-TV Milwaukee’s I-team reveals 60 of the 375 nursing homes in Wisconsin have a one-star rating in the federal nursing home rating system. A one-star rating indicates the care provided by the facility and the overall quality of the home are well below average.

The I-team also discovered more than 50 percent of nursing homes within 50 miles of Milwaukee have ratings of below average or well below average. This means these facilities either have one star (well below average) or two stars (below average). A three-star facility is average while a four-star facility is above average and a five-star rated facility is well above average.

The ratings system was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and has five stars. Nursing homes are given anywhere from one to five stars based on three different ratings. The health inspection rating is based on health inspections of the facility, while the staffing rating is based on facilities providing enough staff members to meet residents’ needs, and the quality measure rating, which is a rating of how well facilities meet residents’ physical and clinical needs.

The I-team has also found numerous reports about abuse and neglect of residents at different nursing homes around the state. Reports showed some caregivers leaving residents sitting on toilets, harassing or intimidating them by shining a flashlight in their eyes, and stealing residents’ money and medications. Since the beginning of 2018, there have been nearly 2,000 complaints of abuse and neglect at nursing homes in Wisconsin.

For example, the I-team reviewed public inspection reports for Kenosha Estates Rehab and Care Center from 2017 and found there was just one certified nursing assistant for 19 residents with dementia on the third shift. The director of the facility’s dementia unit told inspectors it was a safety risk to have only one nurse but his request for another nurse on the third shift was denied.

According to the I-team’s research, since 2016, nursing homes in this state have paid out approximately $7 million in federal fines for penalties related to these kinds of complaints. Kenosha Estates received a $26,000 fine in 2017 because it did not provide appropriate treatment to address a resident’s mental disorder and failed to monitor a patient with a medical issue that resulted in admission to a hospital.

Has Your Loved One Been Abused?

Abuse and neglect of the elderly are all too common, particularly at nursing homes. In many cases, profit has become more important than providing proper care for the elderly.

If your loved one has suffered any form of abuse or been neglected and suffered health consequences, you may be able to pursue compensation for their damages.

Contact our nursing home abuse attorneys in Wisconsin. We have helped many victims of nursing home abuse recover the fair compensation they deserve. Your consultation with our trusted attorneys is absolutely free of charge and there is no obligation to take legal action.

Contact PKSD today by phone by calling 414-333-3333 .