How To File A Complaint About Nursing Home Care
In a prior post, I wrote about the Ombudsman for the Idaho Commision on Aging and his or her duty concerning the care of nursing home residents. If you are concerned about nursing home care, you can also lodge a complaint with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW). Indeed, the IDHW encourages the filing of appropriate complaints: "The opportunity to lodge a complaint provides the public with a mechanism to notify the Bureau of Facility Standards (i.e. State Survey Agency) of a health care providers failure to provide appropriate care within the framework required by regulations."
If you wish to file a complaint, you should contact the Bureau of Facility Standards at (208) 334-6626, or, in writing at: Bureau of Facility Standards, PO Box 83720, Boise ID 83720-0036. If you file a complaint, you should be prepared to provide the following information:
- Provider/Facility Name and City
- Name of Patient/Resident
- Detailed Statement of Care Provided And Any Negative Outcomes
- Names of Witnesses
- Your Name and Contact Information; unless you wish to remain anonymous.
After a complaint is filed, it will be investigated by Bureau of Facility Standards' staff in a confidential manner. If you would like to know the result of any complaint against a facility, you need to request the results through a public records request to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Although notification of the staff of a facility is one way to ensure your concerns are heard, you should also file a formal complaint with the Bureau of Facility Standards. Such a complaint will ensure your concerns are taken seriously and investigated appropriately.
