Editor's note: The video above is about Washington state's effort to help fund long-term care for seniors.
SPOKANE, Wash. – A new listing of the nation’s worst-rated nursing homes includes 19 in Washington state, including one in Spokane.
The nursing homes all have quality rankings of just one star out of five.
The analysis by the Long Term Care Community Coalition is part of an effort to help the public gain insights into the quality and safety of facilities in their communities while highlighting inadequate staffing, substandard care, abuse and neglect within the industry.
The report says that Franklin Hills Health and Rehab Center in Spokane received one star for its overall, health inspections and staff ratings. It also lists a total of 29 substantiated complaints against the facility and more than $136,000 in fines.
Franklin Hills Executive Director Jeremy Tolman said in a statement to KREM that reports are constantly changing and they have appealed some of the fines listed, which are much less than initially reported. They added that a new report released on Monday listed the facility as one with two stars.
"This industry is in a constant state of change and a constant state of flux. There are different things that state inspectors focus on. This particular building was purchased by a new company so there are a lot of changes that are coming that will be positive changes. We are in the process of fixing those things," Tolman said in a statement.
Other nursing homes that received a one-star rating in Washington state are located in the following cities: Bellingham, Cashmere, Coupeville, Enumclaw, Everett, Longview, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Port Angeles, Seattle (3), Selah, Shelton (2), Shoreline, Spokane, Vancouver, and Wapato.
There are seven nursing homes in Idaho that received a one-star rating, including three in North Idaho.
Lacrosse Health and Rehabilitation Center received one-star overall and health inspection ratings, but a three-star rating for staff. The total number of fines is listed as nearly $167,000.
Coeur d'Alene of Cascadia also made the list, with one-star ratings across the board. The facility's fines are listed at nearly $60,000. The nursing home was also listed in a Senate report on nearly 400 nursing facilities nationwide with a "persistent record of poor care" as of April 2019.
Good Samaritan Society located in Silverton, Idaho, also received one-star ratings in all categories with listed, with just over $66,000 in fines.
The only area in the nation without a one-star facility is Washington, D.C.
