Massachusetts regulators appear to be falling short in ensuring that nursing homes follow rules designed to improve care for some of their most vulnerable patients, those with dementia, a Boston Globe review shows. Nursing homes have been notably slow to implement the improvements: Some have not completed the required staff training for dementia care that is required of all nursing homes and was supposed to be finished nearly three months ago, the Globe found in a random check of about one dozen facilities. Meanwhile, at least 40 nursing homes have asked for waivers to complete other upgrades required for facilities that specifically advertise special care for dementia patients, according to state data. And six have been cited for their failures, the state said. Despite the delays, state regulators are not conducting spot checks for compliance. They are, they say, already busy with routine monitoring of more than 400 nursing homes. Instead, the state health department said in a statement that its inspectors will review dementia care during their annual visit to each facility, which means some nursing homes may not be checked for compliance for months. The upgrading process has been slow nearly from the start; the department issued its dementia special care checklist for inspectors in December, nearly a year after the rules were adopted last February.
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