For-profit facilities had a higher percentage of violations than other nursing homes, the report by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services said.

Alissa Halperin, senior attorney and deputy director of policy advocacy at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, said regulations with adequate oversight are essential to protect the fragile elderly.

"As a nation, we need to do a much better job. We have an opportunity in Pennsylvania to lead the way," Halperin said in a statement. "The Independent Regulatory Commission is now considering a set of regulations that will oversee newly licensed Assisted Living Facilities. Our elderly have been victims of corporate greed and ineffective oversight by state and federal regulatory bodies. It's time we made some changes."

About 1.5 million people live in 16,000 U.S. nursing facilities.