Thomas DiNapoli
ALBANY – The state Department of Health (DOH) should be doing more to insure that nursing homes are properly inspecting, maintaining and testing their medical equipment.
That’s according to a recent audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
DOH is responsible for ensuring nursing homes are in compliance with federal and state regulations designed to optimize the health, safety and quality of life for the approximately 117,000 people living in nursing homes across New York state.
DiNapoli’s auditors found that while DOH completes its surveys on time and reports deficient practices to the public, as required, there were gaps in its inspection procedures.
Auditors found equipment such as heart monitors, electrocardiograms and dialysis machines were missing from the list.
Auditors also found that DOH was only looking at a small number of items in the facilities and could be missing equipment defects.
In visits to 36 facilities across New York, auditors found several pieces of poorly maintained equipment, including a transport wheelchair that was covered by rust, mold or mildew, and a suction machine, used to remove airway fluid, covered in a thick layer of dust that appeared to have accumulated over time.
Auditors also interviewed staff at the 36 facilities regarding generator maintenance. At 13 facilities, staff could not provide documentation that the generator tests were conducted as required, and four of the 13 facilities were not aware that this test was required.
DiNapoli’s audit provided several recommendations for the DOH improve oversight of nursing home resident-care medical equipment.
The DOH disagreed with the audit’s findings. The agency’s full response can be found online at the Comptrollers website.
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