State Inspector Shortages Linked to Preventable Nursing Home Tragedy

State Inspector Shortages Linked to Preventable Nursing Home Tragedy

Joan Cody, 95, died in January after a fall at a Kansas care home, a fall her family says could have been prevented. Despite alerts to staff and the state ombudsman, a state inspector never arrived in time, highlighting a shortage of long-term care surveyors in Kansas.

“It literally is a matter of life and death,” said Haely Ordoyne, director of the state ombudsman agency. “If things are left unresolved and unaddressed, it can shorten someone’s lifespan due to health complications or emotional trauma.”

Hernandez says her aunt suffered unnecessarily, and advocates continue pushing for more timely inspections to protect vulnerable adults.

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