Nursing home screenings fail, auditor says

State Auditor Claire McCaskill says nursing homes aren’t going far enough in checking the background of their employees. And McCaskill says that has resulted in nursing homes hiring more than 600 workers who would be disqualified from working with children or the mentally ill. McCaskill points out nursing homes are only required to screen employees with the Division of Aging’s disqualification list. She wants the legislature to change that. Lawmakers killed a bill to require nursing homes consult lists kept by the Department of Mental Health and Division of Family Services, saying the state should increase state nursing home reimbursements before adding new regulations.