New information will soon be on-line for nursing homes

While there’s criticism of a state agency’s handling of nursing home inspection reports, a federal website is expected to be launched next month that may clear up some of the confusion and mess. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the website is long overdue.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will post nursing home complaint data on its website, a move Grassley applauds. He says families need to have access to the full history of any given nursing home to make educated decisions about their loved ones.Grassley is the ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. He says “as our nation ages, more and more families will need nursing homes for their relatives. Families will welcome this new tool to help them pick a good nursing home.”In February, Grassley released a report critical of the Health and Human Services website, as it did not include information on violations found during nursing home inspections. The new full-disclosure site should debut in May.