A new law enforcement program will train officers and prosecutors to identify and investigate allegations of abuse, neglect or misconduct, increasing the scrutiny of Michigan’s nursing homes. And hopefully revealing operators in a better light than many might have expected, provider advocates said.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel announced last week that her office will oversee a series of training sessions to help law enforcement officers understand the regulatory framework under which long-term care facilities operate and differentiate between complaints that are regulatory matters and those that are criminal. The trainings are part of the Sentinel Project, which Nessel launched two years ago to use specially trained teams to make surprise visits to facilities based on performance metrics and other data.
“LeadingAge Michigan recognizes the need to investigate potential instances of blatant abuse and neglect across the entire service array,” David E. Herbel, president and CEO of LeadingAge Michigan, told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News on Friday. “Training opportunities that differentiate criminal issues from regulatory concerns for different law enforcement agencies is welcomed to ensure the safety of our seniors and the appropriate oversight of providers.”
Herbel said that LeadingAge Michigan has engaged with Nessel’s office through the development of the Sentinel Project. The group has a staff member who sits on the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Task Force.
“We also want to call out that seniors who are isolated and often living in the community are also at-risk for abuse and neglect and that close attention must be provided for these seniors as well,” Herbel said. “Vulnerable adults in any setting deserve protection.”
The first series of trainings into this new initiative took place at the Lansing, MI, Police Department and included the Clinton County prosecutor’s office, as well as law enforcement officers from nearby agencies, Nessel’s office said. Additional trainings are scheduled for Kent and Oakland counties.
Melissa Samuel, president and CEO of the Health Care Association of Michigan, noted that long-term care facilities operate under “thousands of federal and state regulations” from the state departments of Licensing and Regulatory and Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and various law enforcement agencies.
“The caregivers and employees in Michigan’s nursing facilities are selfless, compassionate individuals who serve our state’s most vulnerable population,” Samuel told McKnight’s. “[We are] confident that an objective review and oversight of our state’s nursing facilities and staff will highlight the quality care being provided to residents. We agree … that the vast majority of facilities are providing great care.”
