MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A class-action lawsuit filed by nursing home residents against the Maryland Health Department moves forward after a judge denies the department’s request to dismiss the case.
Thousands of nursing home residents allege the state’s failure to conduct required nursing home inspections led to substandard care for residents living in the facilities.
7News spoke to a Maryland lawmaker who calls the lack of inspections a “crisis.”
Maryland State Senator Ben Kramer of Montgomery County was instrumental in getting a new bill passed during the last General Assembly session in Annapolis that will make nursing homes across the state more accountable.
Kramer told 7News that for the last two years, the state has been ranked last in the country, or second to last, for its failure to timely inspect nursing homes.
Karen Maricheau of Montgomery County has a sister who received care at one of the more than 200 nursing homes in Maryland.
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She shared photos with 7News of her sister Merle, who she alleges was in a nursing home system that was unresponsive to her needs.
Maricheau said during her sister’s stay at the nursing home, Merle suffered a black eye, staff at the facility failed to administer medical treatments, and didn’t respond to her sister’s calls for help.
Merle was eventually transferred out of the nursing home to a hospital, where she died in February.
Maricheau is encouraged by newly passed legislation that requires the Maryland Department of Health to do more frequent reporting when it comes to nursing home inspections.
Kramer explained how a newly passed bill, SB 376, is tackling the problem.
“The Department of Health will now be required to submit to the General Assembly on a quarterly basis an accurate record of every level of inspection that they are required to be doing on a quarterly basis of every single jurisdiction in the state,” he said.
Kramer added that the bill still needs Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s signature and he expects that to happen soon.
Once signed by the governor, the law will take effect on July 1.
7News emailed the Maryland Department of Health several times asking what it’s doing to improve the frequency of nursing home inspections and respond more quickly to complaints.
We’re still waiting for our questions to be answered.
