DSHS survey shows nursing home funds are being misappropriated

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — A state survey indicates that some nursing home funds are not being used as the Legislature intended.

The Legislature gave nursing homes $4 million last year to increase salaries for the lowest-paid nursing home workers. A survey by the Department of Social and Health Services shows most nursing homes spent at least some of the money on low-wage nursing assistants — but most also used the money to give raises to higher-paid nurses.

The department’s survey got responses from 79 of the state’s 257 nursing homes, a 31 percent response rate.

Three-quarters of the nursing homes reported using the money for pay increases. Of the respondents, 97 percent gave raises to nursing assistants, 83 percent gave raises to licensed practical nurses and 78 percent increased salaries for registered nurses. Two homes said they gave no raise at all to low-wage nursing assistants.

Most of the pay increases were in the 3 percent to 5 percent range, the report said. Most nursing assistants earn about $8 to $10 an hour.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents health care workers, used the study to criticize nursing home management for not spending all the money on increasing the lowest wages.

"We haven’t seen a dime of this money," said Stephanie Quitagua, a nursing assistant with Bremerton Evergreen Rehab Center. "Our wages haven’t gone up at all."

Mike Neeld, executive director of the Washington Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said all the money went to direct care for patients. Much of the $4 million was used to pay off expenses that had already been incurred, Neeld said.

"It was a real breakthrough that the Legislature recognized the problem last year," Neeld said. "But it was not nearly enough and we need to get more money into the system."

Rep. Tom Campbell, the top Republican on the House Health Care Committee, said the money was intended solely for the lowest-paid workers.

"If that’s not the case, there are going to have to be people who answer for that," Campbell said. "These people are living on McDonald’s wages. They can’t survive. We were trying to fix it."

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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