Pa. welfare dept. posting care-home info online
York Daily Record
By MARTHA RAFFAELE Associated Press Writer
June 27, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa.—The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare plans to make more information available on its Web site about personal care homes for the elderly and disabled... Read full article
McIlvaine Smith said she introduced the bill in response to Richman's disclosure in March 2007 that nearly 75 percent of the state's roughly 1,500 personal care homes were operating with expired licenses because their inspections had not been completed.
The department subsequently hired retirees as temporary inspectors to help eliminate the backlog and has also bolstered its complement of full-time inspectors. Richman pledged during a February state budget hearing that the state would "never again" fall behind on the inspections.
Besides helping consumers, the information will also enable lawmakers to evaluate the department's inspection and licensing performance, McIlvaine Smith said.
"It helps us to know, are they going to need more money, more help?" she said.