MARSHALL — A new website is giving Minnesotans the ability to look up safety information on nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This month, a Minnesota-based nonprofit launched Elder Care IQ, a site that lets users search for elder care facilities and see state inspection reports from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Elder Care IQ was created with the support of Elder Voice Advocates, a nonprofit working to stop abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities. Elder Care IQ is meant to be a screening tool to help Minnesotans choose care providers, Elder Voice Advocates said on the website.

The new website makes it easier to access public investigation reports for nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Elder Voice Advocates said. The reports are available online through the MDH’s Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) website. However, a 2018 report from the office of Minnesota’s legislative auditor said the OHFC website was incomplete, and hard to navigate.

Other information on quality of care measures at Minnesota nursing homes is also available through the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Nursing Home Report Card website. But that site doesn’t include inspection reports, or information on assisted living facilities.

On the Elder Care IQ website, users can search an interactive map for nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Minnesota, and see whether the MDH conducted investigations at a specific facility. Users can also click a link that goes directly to investigation reports on the OHFC website.

When the MDH receives complaints of abuse, neglect or exploitation at an elder care facility, it conducts investigations. The findings are then reported as substantiated, unsubstantiated or inconclusive.

A substantiated complaint means that most of the evidence in the investigation showed a violation occurred, according to the OHFC website.

A search of the Elder Care IQ website showed information on a total of nine assisted living and nursing home sites in Marshall. Some of the sites had substantiated complaints, according to the Elder Care IQ website and reports on the OHFC website.

The Elder Care IQ site listed Avera Morningside Heights in Marshall as having two substantiated investigations, six unsubstantiated investigations and one inconclusive investigation. According to MDH reports, an August survey by the Department of Health found both substantiated and unsubstantiated claims, but the facility was found to meet federal requirements because it had already taken corrective action prior to the on-site investigation.

The OHFC website also listed reports of substantiated complaints at Avera Morningside Heights going back to 2017. The reports included a fall, an incident in 2019 where a nursing assistant allegedly struck back at a resident after being hit by the resident, and a 2017 incident where an employee allegedly stole a resident’s iPad. The employee involved in the theft incident was fired, an MDH report said.

Stacy Neubeck, communications partner at Avera Marshall, said surveyors from the MDH routinely visit and inspect long-term care facilities across the state to monitor compliance with federal nad state requirements. They also do surveys in response to complaints, she said.

“Often, we have a situation remedied before it’s investigated,” Neubeck said.

Neubeck said Avera Marshall most commonly sees the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Care Compare website being used to compare long-term care facilities. According to the Care Compare site, Morningside Heights has had no complaints resulting in citations for the past three years.

“Enhancing safety and quality is a continual focus for our team at Avera Morningside Heights,” Neubeck said. “We support families researching their care options to find the right choice for their loved ones. The transparency offered by the CMS Care Compare site can be valuable to families who are exploring options.”

“Residents and their families count on us to provide a safe, comfortable home –ensuring that residents are safe, well cared for and that they find meaning in each day. Our team deeply values the trust families place in us,” Neubeck said.

Heritage Pointe Senior Living in Marshall was listed on the Elder Care IQ website as having one substantiated investigation and one unsubstantiated investigation. An MDH report from February said an employee at the facility allegedly stole narcotic medications from a resident. The employee involved that incident is no longer employed by the Heritage Pointe, the report said. Heritage Pointe was issued a correction order, the report said.

“In order to protect resident confidentiality and health information, we do not release details above and beyond those released by the Minnesota Department of Health,” said Heritage Pointe Executive Director Sara Dolan. “We appreciate the new application and hope it helps older adults and their families in their senior living search,” Dolan said of the Elder Care IQ site.

Prairie View Senior Living in Tracy was listed on the Elder Care IQ website as having one substantiated investigation and three unsubstantiated investigations. The OHFC website listed reports of substantiated complaints at Prairie View in 2021 and 2022, involving altercations between a resident and other residents. However, a January survey by MDH found the facility in compliance with federal requirements.

Prairie View Senior Living Director Brian Hinrichs said Prairie View self-reports incidents like the altercations. In that incident, there was no corrective action against Prairie View because they had already addressed the situation and put measures in place to keep it from happening again, he said.