3 Texas agencies vow to reform following report on alleged abuse at veterans nursing homes

Action follows Drew's story last month:

AUSTIN – Three state agencies pledged Wednesday to improve responses to abuse allegations at nursing homes, after legislators raised pointed questions about safety and management at two state-owned facilities for veterans.

One of the main changes is for the state agency in charge of regulating nursing homes to offer annual training to law enforcement officers on how to investigate allegations of harm to the elderly.

The plans were revealed at two Senate committees hearings held Wednesday in response to an April Dallas Morning News report.
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Elder abuse allegations should require police investigation, advocacy group says

Jim Drew, in a follow up to Sunday's investigative piece about state-run veterans homes, offers this story:

AUSTIN – Advocates for nursing home residents called Monday for tougher oversight of abuse cases, saying state inspectors and local law officers need to better coordinate joint investigations.


They said police should get more training and be brought in when state regulators receive any allegations of abuse or neglect – a dual inquiry aimed at protecting evidence that might be used in a criminal prosecution.

"If something happened to you in your residence, you wouldn't call a state regulatory agency; you need a police officer and an emergency medical technician who's trained in investigating elder abuse," said Gay Nell Harper of the Texas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents, a nonprofit volunteer organization.