Nursing homes dispute problems listed on Web site

By themselves, some of the numbers on a government Web site donâÂÂt bode well for Lawrence-area nursing homes.

At Brandon Woods, for example, 30 percent of the residents are said to be in pain. The statewide average is 15 percent.

At Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, 15 percent of the residents are said to have pressure sores. ThatâÂÂs almost twice the statewide average.

And, according to the Web site, the last time state inspectors showed up at Colonial Manor – now called Lake View Manor – they cited the home with 20 deficiencies.

But administrators warned the numbers should not be taken out of context.

âÂÂTwenty deficiencies? Oh my, that was a year and a half ago,â said Dick Boswell, administrator at Lake View Manor, 3015 W. 31st St. âÂÂA lot has changed since then.âÂÂ

State inspectors, Boswell said, completed Lake View ManorâÂÂs latest annual survey in late May.

âÂÂWe were cited for three deficiencies, and one of the three was a front-office thing that didnâÂÂt have anything to do with resident care,â Boswell said. âÂÂIâÂÂm not saying three is OK, but itâÂÂs sure a lot better than 20.âÂÂ

At Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, 1429 Kasold Drive, executive director Rhonda Parks didnâÂÂt dispute the Web siteâÂÂs numbers. But, she said, the complexâÂÂs 60-bed nursing home unit is not dealing with an inordinate number of pressure sores.

She attributed the above-average percentage to residents who had pressure sores when they were admitted and to having more than the usual number of residents in hospice care.

Donna Bell, executive director at Brandon Woods Retirement Community, 1501 Inverness Drive, said the homeâÂÂs residents-in-pain numbers exceeded the state average because âÂÂwe have a lot of people coming here straight from the hospital, and weâÂÂre doing a lot with people whoâÂÂve broken a hip or an arm.âÂÂ

The numbers, culled from thousands of reports collected by all 50 states, are part of a recent federal initiative aimed at helping families decide which nursing homes are best for their loved ones.

Available at www.medicare.-

gov, the numbers compare conditions in each of Kansasâ 377 nursing homes with state and national averages.

Though wary of how the initial numbers will be interpreted, Lawrence-area nursing home administrators welcomed their availability on the Internet.

âÂÂThe Internet piece is a work in progress; itâÂÂs a good starting point,â said Lee Eaton, executive director at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community, 4851 Harvard Road.

Eventually, the Nursing Home Quality Initiative is expected to help Kansas nursing homes find ways to improve their care.

Pioneer RidgeâÂÂs percentages are slightly above or below the state and national averages, though six of the 10 categories are listed as not yet available.