An audit by the New York Comptroller found the state’s Health Department slow to inspect violations at elder care facilities across the state, including those on Long Island.
“The audit said the Department of Health at times failed to conduct timely inspections and often lacked documentation to show critical problems were corrected,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office said. It found the department mishandled and failed to fully investigate complaints, failed to fix violations found at facilities and was not inspecting all facilities in a timely manner.
“Adult care facilities across the state have a responsibility to protect residents and deliver quality care,” DiNapoli said. “Regular and routine inspections of these facilities, and correcting problems, ensure residents are not left in unsafe or unsanitary conditions. If the state Department of Health isn’t conducting timely inspections or following up to make sure violations are corrected, then vulnerable residents could be left at risk.”
These facilities are not nursing homes and are primarily home to elderly residents who can no longer live independently, providing housing, meals and personal care to patients.
The office said the audit, which was conducted between 2018 and 2024, found four unresolved violations across the five Long Island facilities it inspected.
The Health Department did not complete full inspections at four of the audited Long Island facilities, according to DiNapoli’s office. One was one month late, two were two months late and one was 14 months late.
Violations at Long Island facilities included not cleaning kitchen hoods and ducts, missing fire drill records and improperly maintained fire extinguishers, all of which present health and safety issues to those living in the facilities.
The Health Department said it is still working to meet the timelines for regular inspections after the pandemic.
“The department has made substantial progress returning to normal surveillance timelines that were delayed due to the pandemic,” the department said in a statement.
The Health Department said it has implemented a “robust system to monitor its compliance with prescribed surveillance timelines.” The department also said it has updated its surveillance program, including requiring mentorship for a leadership academy for surveyors and completion of an annual review of the Surveillance Operations Manual.
DiNapoli’s office said none of the Long Island facilities included in the audit were inspected during the COVID-19 time period.
The audit recommends that the Health Department improve procedures to ensure timely inspections, follow up on violations, complete and document complaint investigations, communicate findings promptly, improve data accuracy and address staffing shortages.
The comptroller’s office did not provide the names of the Long Island facilities in the audit.
