A new study revealed that the vast majority of Washington’s nursing homes are struggling to meet basic quality standards. According to research conducted by personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Firm, Washington is now ranked as the second worst state in the nation for elderly care, surpassed only by California.
Using data from KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), the study analyzed ten major factors to determine where care conditions are at their worst. These factors included pharmacy services. infection control, quality of nursing services, and freedom from abuse and neglect.
The study placed Washington near the bottom of the list with a “deficiency rate” of 63.1%.
Washington ranks as second most problematic state
Out of the 198 nursing homes currently operating in the state, a staggering 98% had at least some form of recorded deficiency. On average, each facility in Washington was found to have 15.3 separate lapses in care.
The most alarming data is 40% of Washington’s facilities were flagged for serious incidents involving actual harm or risk, a rate that is nearly double that of California.
Western states fared the worst in the study.
California took the top spot for the worst care with an 85% deficiency rate in quality of care, while states like New Mexico and West Virginia followed Washington to round out the bottom five.
A spokesperson for Phillips Law Firm stated that the research serves as an “alarming reminder” that families must be extra cautious when choosing a facility. They noted that top-quality care should be non-negotiable and urged families in high-risk states like Washington to pay extra attention during their research, as there are simply too many instances of poor-quality care.
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