Under staffing nursing homes in order to raise profits and meet a bottom line is a growing and evident problem in the nation's largest for-profit nursing homes, according to a study recently released by the University of California San Francisco. Officials conducting the study stated that RN positions had been cut, leading to a number of problems, including medication errors.

The study is the first of its kind focusing on quality of care and staffing at the 10 largest for-profit nursing home chains in the nation. Understaffed nursing care is a prominent red flag that indicates possible poor nursing home quality.

The chains included in the study had deficiencies at a rate higher than 40 percent of those rated as better facilities by the state. The deficiencies included infections, mistreatment, failure to prevent bed sores and increased weight loss among residents.

The nursing home chains also logged fewer nurse hours than those non-profit facilities, and residents were charted as being ill more often. With Medicare cuts in 2011, officials expressed concern that the safety and health of residents in these nursing homes may be even more compromised if the chains compensate for the cutbacks with even greater staff reductions or reduced wages.

The companies included in the study were Golden Living, HCR Manor Care, Kindred Healthcare, Genesis HealthCare Corp., Life Care Centers of America, Sun Health Care Group, Inc., Extendicare Health Services, Inc., National Health Care Corp., SavaSeniorCare LLC and Skilled HealthCare, LLC

Source: UCSF, "Low staffing and poor quality of care at nation's for-profit nursing homes" Nov. 29, 2011