ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local advocacy group is planning a rally Sunday to demand better oversight of nursing homes in the wake of the Waterview Heights closure crisis.
MaryDel Wypych, with Elder Justice Committee of Metro Justice said the rally aims to call attention to what she describes as inadequate state oversight and substandard care at nursing facilities across the region. Wypych told News10NBC that the New York State Department of Health is failing to enforce regulations effectively.
“The nursing homes provide the oversight by the New York State Department of Health,” Wypych said. “They do this through on-site inspections, the complaint process. When there are significant violations, they should be fining the nursing homes accordingly and then collecting those fines, and that just isn’t happening.”
How did we get here?
As News10NBC has been extensively reporting, Waterview Heights was placed on the state’s special focused facilities list nearly three years ago due to repeated violations. Despite corrective action plans, the facility continued to provide poor care until the state finally moved to close it down, Wypych said…