Q: If I make a report to the Department of Quality Assurance for nursing
home neglect what happens next? What do they do?
I recommend reporting nursing home neglect because the DQA has
tremendous investigative powers and can be a solution to the situation.
The DQA can investigate at a level ordinary people cannot. They can go in and demand
to speak to all the staff. They can review all of the different charts. They can learn if what
happened to your loved one has happened to other people, whether there is a pattern of
neglect. They can look at staffing levels. They can do a lot of worthwhile investigation
andit can help your elder neglect attorney later to make a case on behalf of your nglected
loved one.
Unfortunately, recently (and to the detriment of the entire state) Wisconsin law was changed so that reports/finding of the Department of Quality
Assurance (DQA) based on their investigations are not admissible in any court of law! However, in pursuing a negligence claim on behalf of the resident, their work can be key in securing witness statements, obtaining key documents, and being able to investigate immediately upon a referral.
