CENTER, MO - A recent state inspection of Westview Nursing Home revealed significant lapses in the facility's hiring practices, with multiple employees working without completed background screenings and essential credential verifications required by federal regulations.
Missing Background Checks Put Residents at Risk
The May 21, 2025 inspection uncovered that Westview Nursing Home had failed to maintain proper documentation for new employees, including critical background checks and registry verifications. The facility's Human Resources Manager, who had been in the position for just one month, acknowledged during the inspection that "there was a lot of information missing from the new hire files" and confirmed that if documentation was not in an employee's file, the required checks had not been completed.
This violation affects multiple staff members and poses potential risks to resident safety. Federal regulations require nursing homes to conduct comprehensive background checks on all employees before they begin working with vulnerable elderly residents. These screenings include criminal background checks through the Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR), Criminal Background Check (CBC) systems, and verification through the Employee Disqualification List (EDL) and Nurse Aide Registry.
The absence of these crucial screenings means the facility could unknowingly employ individuals with criminal histories, histories of abuse or neglect, or those who have been barred from working in healthcare settings. Background checks serve as a fundamental safeguard, helping facilities identify individuals who may pose risks to resident safety, including those with convictions for theft, assault, or elder abuse.
Administrator Acknowledges Systemic Compliance Failures
During the inspection, the facility's Administrator admitted that "they were not current on the proper documents needed" despite her expectation that staff check all required databases for new hires. This acknowledgment reveals a breakdown in the facility's administrative oversight and quality assurance processes.
The failure to maintain current documentation and conduct required screenings represents more than a paperwork issue - it indicates a systemic failure in the facility's hiring and compliance protocols. When nursing homes bypass or fail to complete background checks, they compromise the entire safety infrastructure designed to protect residents from potential harm.
Medical and Safety Implications
The lack of proper employee screening creates multiple risks for nursing home residents, who often have complex medical needs and cognitive impairments that make them particularly vulnerable. Residents with dementia or Alzheimer's disease may be unable to report inappropriate behavior or abuse. Those with physical disabilities depend entirely on staff for basic care needs, including medication administration, bathing, and feeding.
Without verified credentials and background checks, facilities cannot confirm that nursing assistants have completed required training programs or that nurses hold valid licenses. This gap in verification could result in unqualified individuals providing medical care, potentially leading to medication errors, improper wound care, or failure to recognize critical changes in a resident's condition.
The Employee Disqualification List specifically identifies healthcare workers who have been found guilty of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of funds in previous positions. Failing to check this registry allows individuals with documented histories of resident mistreatment to move between facilities undetected.
Industry Standards and Required Protocols
Federal regulations mandate that nursing homes must not employ individuals who have been convicted of crimes that could compromise resident safety or well-being. The screening process should occur before any employee begins working and must include verification through multiple databases to ensure comprehensive review.
Standard industry practice requires facilities to maintain organized personnel files with documented evidence of all completed screenings, including dated reports from each required database check. Many facilities implement double-verification systems where both human resources and administrative staff independently confirm that all checks are complete before clearing an employee to work.
Best practices also include periodic re-screening of existing employees and immediate screening whenever concerns arise about an employee's background or behavior. Facilities typically maintain a checklist system to ensure no screening step is overlooked during the hiring process.
Pattern of Administrative Oversight Issues
The inspection findings suggest broader organizational challenges at Westview Nursing Home. The relatively new Human Resources Manager's discovery of widespread documentation gaps indicates these problems existed before his arrival and had gone unaddressed by previous management.
The Administrator's acknowledgment that the facility was not current on required documentation despite understanding the requirements points to a disconnect between policy knowledge and implementation. This gap between what leadership knows should happen and what actually occurs in practice often signals inadequate quality assurance systems and insufficient administrative oversight.
The violation was classified as having the potential for "minimal harm or potential for actual harm" affecting "some" residents, though the true scope of risk remains unclear without knowing how many employees worked without proper screening or for how long these lapses persisted.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Westview Nursing Home from 2025-05-21 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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