Licensure for some Texas nursing homes under the microscope

Serious violations have been cited in Texas nursing homes, yet the state’s Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has been unable to protect clients because of existing statutes that help facilities avoid or evade penalties, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission said in a recent report. The commission’s mission is to identify and eliminate waste, duplication and inefficiency in more than 130 state agencies.

On Wednesday, the commission recommended that the DADS revoke the license of any nursing home that is cited for at least three serious violations over a two-year period.  Currently, seven of the state’s 1,200 nursing homes qualify for license revocation.

Not everyone is on the same page for beefing up DADS authority, however. The Republican senator that introduced the measure insists the license scrutiny will weed out the “worst of the worst.” The Democrat members opposed to this recommendation refer to it as a “three strikes” law, as one article reports. It was hoped that this measure would improve the quality of care in Texas nursing facilities.

Sandra Hoban

Sandra Hoban was on I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living’s editorial staff for 17 years. She is one of the country’s longest-serving senior care journalists. Before joining Long-Term Living, she was a member of the promotions department at Advanstar Communications. In addition to her editorial experience, Sandi has served past roles in print and broadcast advertising as a traffic and talent coordinator.