Elder Abuse and Neglect Law Blog - Providing a Voice for the Vulnerable on Elder Abuse & Neglect Issues

On Jan. 1st of this year, nursing homes in California began to post federal ratings on their quality of care.  This is in response to a state law that passed in 2009.  Visitors, residents, and employees are now able to see how a specific home rates on a five-star scale, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  The scale ranges from five stars, which represents “much beyond average” to one star, which represents “much below average.” For those in Washington State, similar tools are available online at the DSHS site with the Nursing Home Compare tool.  There, you can check out... More

 I currently have several cases involving Adult Family Homes. In a recent meeting with a DSHS investigator in one of my cases, I learned of a startling fact. The licensing requirements don't apply to adult family homes where each caregiver cares for less than two people full time. Under the Washington Administrative Code, an adult family home only requires a license if it provides care and services to more than one person. However, home is defined in such a way that one entity can own several single unit homes, place a full time live-in caregiver on site for each, and... More