DHHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

Lewin contact: Lisa Alecxih

In an effort to improve the quality of care provided in long-term care settings, as well as ensure a committed and qualified long-term care workforce, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, contracted with The Lewin Group to study the efficacy of various approaches to pre-employment screening and on-the-job monitoring of nurse assistants to prevent resident abuse in nursing homes. The two primary methods used for pre-employment screening include checking nurse aide registries and conducting criminal background checks. Federal guidelines require each state to establish and maintain a registry of nurse aides that includes certification information and substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation in nursing homes. Previous studies have examined rates of abuse in nursing facilities, direct service worker capacity issues, and compliance of states to maintain nurse aide registries. This study looks across all of these issues, by examining the process states go through to collect and maintain information in their registries, state and employer mandated background check procedures, reporting and investigating policies/practices when abuse allegations are made, and the impact of such processes on the direct service workforce, employers and state agencies

"Throughout the engagement, Lewin consultants listened to us and delivered superb analyses and thoughtful guidance–not canned solutions."  NONPROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM