Study: State Nursing Home Workers Have Criminal Pasts
Cox Calls For Yearly Background Checks
POSTED: Wednesday, June 1, 2005
UPDATED: 1:41 pm EDT June 1,
2005
Attorney General Mike Cox announced Wednesday the findings of two studies conducted in 2005 on Michigan's adult residential care facilities.The studies revealed that about 10 percent of the employees caring for residents at these facilities have criminal backgrounds.
"The criminal histories and warrants we discovered range from minor traffic violations, to armed robberies, homicides and criminal sexual conduct," said Cox.The first study reviewed the criminal backgrounds of a statewide sample of Michigan's 40,000 certified nurses aides, the single-largest group of certified workers providing direct care to residents, according to a news release from the attorney general's office. Of the more than 5,500 CNAs studied, 9 percent had a total of 836 outstanding criminal warrants and 3 percent, or 170, had past criminal convictions.The second study checked the background of entire employee populations -- from CNAs to administrators -- at four nursing homes in four different regions across the state, according to the release. A total of 618 employees were evaluated and 58 of them had more than 100 outstanding warrants, and 68 staff members had past criminal convictions.Cox has not revealed the names of the nursing homes used in the studies.The attorney general commissioned the studies in response to a disturbing series of cases uncovered by his Healthcare Fraud Division, which investigates and prosecutes Medicaid provider fraud and residential care facility abuse and neglect, according to the release. The division found that 43 percent of individuals and 25 percent of employees charged for crimes against residents in the past three years have previous criminal convictions.Cox is working to toughen state laws and require that facilities conduct yearly background checks on employees.
NURSING HOMES   Statistics, Safety Guidelines To report Medicaid provider fraud, identity theft or patient abuse in a resident care facility, call the attorney general's 24-hour hotline at (800) 24-ABUSE, or Send an e-mail to hcf@michigan.gov. |
Copyright 2005 by ClickOnDetroit.com.
All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
One of four fishermen rescued after they were found holding on to their 19-foot boat in western Lake Erie says a heavy catch of walleye may have led their craft to capsize.
McNair was found dead on a sofa in his downtown Nashville condominium, police said.
Investigators used dental records to confirm that the body was that of 62-year-old John Gilboe of Hamburg Township.
Detroit's police chief says he feels like he's been kicked in the stomach after learning he was being fired by the
mayor.
Just in time for the Fourth of July, 14 coworkers have won a measure of financial independence by sharing a $12 million Michigan Lottery jackpot.
A Diabetic driver goes the wrong way down a stretch of Interstate 94 and causes a multi-car crash. 
Local 4's Guy Gordon reports on NBC's Today Show's exclusive photos of Michael Jackson's children. 
Surveillance video from a shooting in Detroit was released to Local 4 News. 
Police found the arsonist who was responsible for starting the fire that killed 37 year old firefighter Walter Harris na few months ago
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
