About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Sunday, April 17, 2011

92% of Nursing Homes Employ Convicted Criminals

"More than 90 percent of nursing homes employ one or more people who have been convicted of at least one crime, federal investigators said Wednesday in a new report. In addition, they said, 5 percent of all nursing home employees have at least one criminal conviction."

That's according to The New York Times, citing a recent report of the Inspector General. This is in spite of a criminal background check required by most states. Most of these crimes are for theft or drug use, not patient abuse.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

C'mon Bernie
What are you trying to do? Scare everyone? Criminals are working in every section of the community that affect our every day lives. Look at the Catholic Priests. Look at the Judges. Look to Congress. Their everywhere. Even on County Council.

Anonymous said...

I'll bet a majority of the homes in the study were private nursing homes.

Anonymous said...

Yeah.....guess what Bernie, you are NO upstanding citizen yourself!! Remember what you did to some of your clients that cost you your license! People who live in glass houses should not cast stones.........

Anonymous said...

Amon: 6:02
oh how true.

Anonymous said...

sorry I ment Anon: 6:41
excuse me please.

Anonymous said...

Bernie trying to get "His Facts" out and we can see how that is going to be. Even though he wants to make a point that not only are county employee's union goons, they are also criminals.

The problem is he makes the opposite point. The privates don't give a shit and with their massive turnover, if you can breath they will hire you. Since they offer barely no benefits and very low pay, they attract some characters. The county can watch and control who is hired and since it is not "JUST' concerned with the most profit of the Mercedes driving owners, we can watch after our seniors.

Thank you Bernie for giving all a reason to keep Gracedale in County hands.

Save Gracedale;Dump Angle/Stoffa!!

Anonymous said...

It would be criminal to keep Gracedale and saddle Norco taxpayers with the burden of paying for that money pit. The seniors and others on fixed incomes are losing their homes with spiraling energy and food costs, and taxes at all levels out of control. The Gracedale supporters don't care one bit about seniors losing their homes- they'll end up in Gracedale receiving undignified, inferior care. Just to satisfy the greed of the union goons.

Bernie O'Hare said...

5:27,

I'm not trying to scare anyone. I am passing along information. This is something that happens in ALL nursing homes, both public and private. I would suggest that this really has little to do with the private - public argument, but a lot to do with a need for closer scrutiny in ALL nursing homes.

Some of you folks are so worked up about Gracedale that even a neutral observation that applies to ALL nursing homes results in personal attacks.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

If find it amazing that we won't allow someone with a minor infraction coach little league sports when parents are a plenty and watching every moment, but, we will allow criminals to work with those who have no one watching most of the time. Go figure.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bernie All the more reason to keep Gracedale from privatization!

Jon Geeting said...

So? Presumably these people have paid their dues to society. There's no reason their sentence should extend into post-prison life as a stigma. We want these people getting jobs in the licit economy, rather than the illicit economy. Northampton County's recidivism rate is high enough and it's only going to go up if people create additional barriers to licit employment after prison.

BUCKS BARRISTER said...

fyi I was counsel to the Nursing Home Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Health a few years ago
I found out that the employee turnover rate in nursing homes sometimes reaches 100% on an annual basis
privatizaiton will not deal with this issue at all but in all probablility would keep that percentage closer to 100%
these are not easy jobs

Bernie O'Hare said...

Geeting, I am all for hiring convicted criminals who disclose their past. This should be on a case-by-case basis, with longer periods of probation and more intense scrutiny. I do not support people who lie or preying on the elderly.

brenda said...

Yes I agree with Barrister assessment. The turnover is high and the jobs are tough. Basically, you are signing on for a permanent back injury.

I have seen people on work release working at nursing homes. I think misdemeanors are OK, not sure about felonies.

Anonymous said...

Bernda (Bernie & Brenda) spoke at 9:14 & 9:15

brenda said...

Bernie,

Should I come out of the closet?

Naaaaahhhhhh, its warmer in here.

lmao

Anonymous said...

Bernie dam give it a rest already,the Gracedale matter will be resolved by the voters,what is it now scare tactics,now you sound like the so called union goons you chastize in every article you post.People this will continue till afer the election and hopefully it will stop when the Gracedale issue is resolved and Ron Angle is voted to go away.

Bernie O'Hare said...

This is not "scare tactics." It is a situation that might actually apply more to private nursing homes, and people should know it.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I guess you don't know, but the county does a criminal check on all of it's employees, if someone doesn't disclose that they were a criminal, they are terminated. Here we go with scare tactics!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks anonymous 4:01pm ALL THE MORE REASON TO KEEP GRACEDALE COUNTY OWNED!

Bernie O'Hare said...

4:01, I am sure they do, and I am equally certain that some get by.

Anonymous said...

Bernie.....nobody gives a HOOT about your certainty!

Anonymous said...

What is the percentage of convicted criminals in local and state legislatures?

Anonymous said...

8:15 good question.. get your statistics on that ''local blogger''...

Anonymous said...

Studies show that 3 out of 4 people are 75% of the population.

Anonymous said...

10:20 Anon,

That was AWESOME!

Have a great day.

:)