An overview of New Jersey nursing home quality and performance. Who monitors? What Inspections are Required? What are the Standards of Care? How to File Complaints. Resources for family members.

1. • Who monitors quality?
• Nursing home performance?
• Signs of trouble.
• The underlying causes.
• Resources for families.
QUICK GUIDE:
NURSING HOME CARE IN NEW JERSEY

2. Nursing home facilities in New Jersey are licensed, regulated and monitored by several
state and federal agencies – sometimes with overlapping jurisdictions.
• NJ Dept of Health: responsible for ensuring compliance with state regulations.
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: responsible for ensuring compliance
with federal rules and regulations.
• Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly: investigates claims of
abuse and neglect.
• Nursing Homes must also meet the standards set by their national accreditation
organizations.
• Individual healthcare professionals within the facility must also remain compliant with
the standards of care as defined by their licensure and certifications.
WHO MONITORS N.J. NURSING HOMES?

3. The New Jersey Dept. of Health inspects
all facilities at least once every 6-15
months. Working in teams often
including RNs, nutrition consultants and
pharmacists, the Department evaluates:
• Medical Records / Healthcare
• Facility Maintenance & Standards
• Quality of Resident Care
• Facility Personnel & Mgt
• Complaints & Reported Incidents
HOW ARE NURSING HOMES MONITORED?
Inspections will often include:
• Observation of resident care and
statistical data and medical records
related to patient care.
• Assessment of facility compliance with
safety regulations.
• Interviews with staff and personnel.
• Interviews with residents & family.

4. SUSPECT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT IS OCCURRING
IN A NEW JERSEY
NURSING HOME?
CONTACT
http://www.nj.gov/ooie/
WHAT IF A DEFICIENCY IS FOUND?
If a deficiency is found in a nursing facility, there are a
wide range of interventions, depending on the
severity and scope of the infraction:
• Develop a Plan of Correction
• Dispute Resolution
• Administrative Hearing
• Penalties including fines (most common);
suspension or revocation of license/certification.
Inspection reports, ratings and plans of correction for
all New Jersey nursing homes can be found here.

5. SUSPECT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT IS OCCURRING
IN A NEW JERSEY
NURSING HOME?
CONTACT
http://www.nj.gov/ooie/
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
Did You Know…
• Dept of Health Conducts ~400 On-Site Inspections
Annually
• They Investigate over 2,650 Complaints each year
• The NJ Ombudsman’s Office reports over 6,000
Complaints [source] annually through its hotline.
• Only 10% of facilities were found to be free of
deficiencies; 56% of deficiencies were cited at
scope and severity of “D”.[source]

6. ADVISORY STANDARDS
There are mandatory standards
that nursing homes must meet
and also advisory standards
which are voluntary. The
advisory standards represent
ways that facilities can strive to
go beyond the minimum
requirements to provide their
residents with excellent care.
To see if a long-term care
facility has opted to participate
in the Advisory Standards,
search here.
NURSING HOME QUALITY & PERFORMANCE
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has
replaced the NJ Report Card system with a more
comprehensive Five-Star Rating System.
Nursing homes are rated based on (a) Overall
performance; (b) Health Inspections; (c) Staffing; (d)
Quality Measures.
Lookup New Jersey Nursing Homes in the Five-Star
Rating System here.

7. WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Depression or Unexplained
Changes in Demeanor
• Muscle Cramps or Contractions
• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Extreme Weight Loss
• Bedsores
• Suspicious Bruises or Injury
More: NJ Nursing Home Injuries
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
Nursing home residents may be unable or
unwilling (fearing retribution) to report harm.
Family and friends must advocate for the
welfare of the patient.
Visit frequently and be an active participant in
the medical care and treatment of the patient.
Ask questions. Get to know the staff and
communicate regularly.
If you have a concern – SPEAK UP. Anonymous
complaints may be filed here.

8. COMMON MISTAKES
• Skipping Doses
• Overdose / Underdose
• Using Expired Products
• Accidentally Switching
Medications
• Failure to Monitor Patient’s
Reaction to Meds
• Failure to Treat Side Effects
More About: Prescription Errors
NURSING HOMES & MEDICATION ERRORS
Nursing homes can be particularly at risk for
mistakes with the administration of medications.
Most residents are prescribed heavy regimens of
prescriptions, to be administered at different times,
and in a variety of dosages.
This creates a potentially dangerous environment
that must be tightly managed to protect residents.
KNOW: What medications are to be administered,
when, and check regularly with the staff and the
physician to encourage correct administration.

9. Understaffing: Financial pressures can result in
too few staff for too many residents.
Inadequate Training: Staff may only have
minimal training insufficient to appropriately
respond to patient needs.
Inadequate Medical Treatment: Physicians
have a rotation of new patients and may not
have all the treatment information and/or may
be overworked.
Criminal Behavior: No workplace is 100% free
of individuals with criminal behavior –
including nursing home facilities.
UNDERLYING CONCERNS THAT NEGATIVELY
AFFECT NURSING HOME QUALITY

10. Research Nursing Home Inspections
and Quality Ratings, click here.
File a Complaint with the NJ Nursing
Home Ombudsman, click here.
Check the licensure and credentials of a
healthcare professional, click here.
ADRC of N.J. provides access to long-
term care resources (both in and out of
the home), click here.
SUPPORT & RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
Compare Home Health Agencies in NJ,
click here.
Medicare Guide to Selecting a Nursing
Home, click here.
Alzheimer’s Assoc. Topic Sheets on
Dementia and Nursing Homes, click
here.
Suspect Neglect? Understand your legal
options, click here.

11. Sponsored by:
www.DeZaoLaw.com
QUICK GUIDE:
NURSING HOME CARE IN NEW JERSEY