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The Michigan Department Bureau of Health Systems (MDBHS) inspects nursing home to assure that ‘living in a Michigan nursing home is a positive and enriching experience." Nursing homes, county medical care facilities and hospital long term care units that receive Medicare or Medicaid funds are inspected at least one each year. Nursing homes that do not receive Medicare or Medicaid funds are inspected every other year.

During these inspections, the MDBHS inspectors (called surveyors) find out if the facility meets state and/or federal standards. The MDBHS surveyors examine how care is delivered and evaluate residents’ day-to-day life in the home.

The surveyors spend most of their time talking with residents and observing the delivery of care to residents rather than looking at the home’s policies, procedures or records. The survey process includes the following steps:

1. Touring the nursing home – a tour by several surveyors begins as they enter the nursing home.
2. Looking at the care given to residents in the home.
3. Talking with residents about their care and day-to-day life. The family members of residents who cannot have such a conversation are also interviewed by the surveyors.
4. Reviewing resident’s records, including records of residents no longer living in the home.
5. Meeting with members of the resident council to talk about life in the home,
6. Meeting with key staff.

Talking with residents and family members is a key part of the survey. Residents and families know the most about life and care in the home. It is very important for residents and families to talk to the surveyors about their views of the home’s performance and any problems.

Surveyors want to know about the home’s staff, physician services, medications, foodservices, activities and how the home responds to problems brought to their attention. They also want to know if the facility is a comfortable place to live. Is help, if required, provided with walking, bathing, dressing, getting out of bed, getting to and from activities?

If you would like to talk to an MDBHS surveyor during the inspection, the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program operated by Citizens for Better Care can assist you. At the beginning of each annual inspection, the MDBHS team contacts the ombudsman. As part of the inspection process, the ombudsman program will share information about the facility with the team. The ombudsman program is asked to collect the names of residents or family members who would like to participate in the inspection process.

If you are interested n talking with MDBHS surveyors, please complete the attached form and return it to our office. Although we cannot guarantee the MDBHS will contact you during the survey, there is a good chance that they will do so if you express and interest. We cannot and do not give MDBHS your name or any information about your concerns without your permission.

If you have immediate concern about the nursing home, it is best not to wait until the MDBHS survey to seek action. The ombudsman program can give you information about other options to address your concerns, including how to file a formal complaint with MDBHS. If you file a formal complaint with MDBHS, it will assign a specific MDBHS complaint investigator who will go to the home to investigate your concerns.

Please contact your local ombudsman office is you need more information about filing a complaint or other options to address your concerns, We have separated Fact Sheets on how to file a formal complaint with MDBHS and other options n how to address your concerns about nursing home services.

Please complete and return the attached Authorization to Release Information to MDBHS if you would like to participate in the next survey of the nursing home.

Rev: 97, 98, 99, 03/00, 10/00, 03/04

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Southeastern Michigan Area Main Office ~ 800.833.9548	Lansing/Jackson Area 517.347.7398	Saginaw/Flint Area 800.284.0046
Traverse City Area 231.947.2504	Grand Rapids Area 800.782.2918