Texas Significantly Reduces Nursing Home Regulation Enforcement

Bad news for anyone with family in a Texas nursing home: the state has greatly reduced its enforcement of adult care facility regulations – which could mean more unchecked cases of Texas nursing home abuse.

 

According to The Dallas Morning News, the change in Texas nursing home law enforcement has been brought on by budget cuts and legislative changes. A handful of former and current nursing home inspectors alerted the media that their supervisors were actively discouraging citations and exposing poor conditions – whether or not they endangered the lives of the residents.

 

Because of budget cuts, the number of state staff in charge of Texas nursing home regulations has dropped by 25 percent. At the same time, changes in law at the state level mean that it is more difficult for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect to sue—and more difficult for state agencies to fine unsafe facilities.

 

What will be the result of these issues? Many nursing home safety advocates worry that the rates of nursing home neglect in Texas will go up, especially as nursing homes realize that dangerous cost-cutting and corner-cutting practices will rarely be punished.

 

Has your elderly loved one been harmed by negligent or abusive nursing home practices? Speak to a Dallas elder abuse attorney today about taking legal action, securing compensation, and making certain that the nursing home is held responsible for its actions.