Letter to the editor: Nursing home problems not new

It is amazing to me each time I read that a politician is talking about changes that need to be done in nursing homes. They talk about getting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services involved in investigations especially due to the covid-19 virus situation.

I’ve been wondering where these politicians have been for numerous years and why they are suddenly coming forward with a plan. Could it be election-year politics, or could they have been negligent in ensuring proper care in nursing homes?

The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published documents about the problems in nursing homes for years. It looks like a lot of time and money goes into these publications. They go into great detail about the types of problems found and recommendations for improvement. I’m wondering if this is just a waste of time and money, because it seems that nothing changes and these documents may just be on a shelf collecting dust.

Ann Stanton

Baden