The state of Oregon’s website for long-term facilities is not to be completely trusted by families or individuals looking for a good place for a family member.

The state was not disclosing which facilities were facing regulatory sanctions through letters of agreement. Letters of agreement do signal that an organization is willing to work with the Department of Human Services to fix problems. They also signal problems and the state was not readily disclosing them.

We didn’t uncover this. Credit goes to Fred Steele, the state’s long-term ombudsman, for bringing up the matter. Willamette Week reported on it this week.

It’s too easy to find stories of tragic outcomes when patients are left in long-term care. Shouldn’t Oregonians at least be able to trust a state website will provide them with complete regulatory information?