SAN DIEGO -- California's Attorney General Bill Lockyer said the state is making progress in its efforts to crack down on problem nursing homes.

Lockyer said better enforcement translates into better care for the 250,000 men and women who live in California's 1,400 skilled-nursing facilities.

Lockyer announced Tuesday the results of a two-year enforcement effort he called "Operation Guardians."

The enforcement sweep included 78 inspections, including 16 follow-up visits, in six California counties -- San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

"Elder abuse and neglect are very serious problems in California's nursing homes," said Patricia McGinness, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the state's largest nursing home watchdog group. "Attorney General (Bill) Lockyer's Operation Guardians program provides the scrutiny needed to protect the residents of the state's nursing homes."

But the effort came during troubled budget times.

Families of nursing home residents said their complaints have not been thoroughly investigated because of the state's lack of manpower. The Department of Health Services said it's operating under a hiring freeze and has appealed investigators to handle complaints, and does not know when money will be available to hire them.

For more information about Operation Guardians, click here or call (888) 436-3600 for information about elder abuse or to file complaints.