Earlier this month in the Bronx, New York, a 77-year-old man died after he was involved in a fight with a nursing aide in a local nursing home. According to a report by one local news source, the two got involved in an intense fight that eventually required witnesses to…
Nursing home abuse is a serious problem across the United States. However, due to the fact that many instances of abuse go unreported, keeping track of the exact number of abused residents is something that is easier said than done. A recent study released by the Gerontological Society of America…
A true tragedy unfolded earlier this month in a group home charged with caring for severely disabled foster children. According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, a 10-year-old boy died at the care facility because there were not enough caretakers to provided the required one-on-one care that the boy…
Two studies were recently released by the American Medical Directors Association and the Journal of Nursing Administration that looked at the relationship between higher nursing home staff turnover and the quality of care being provided to residents. Not surprisingly, both studies found an adverse relationship, meaning the higher the turnover…
Nursing homes are not known for their stellar safety records. In fact, they are usually known by most for the exact opposite; for providing substandard care that can lead to resident injury and even premature death in some cases. A recent study administered by the Health and Human Services Department…
As if the cold temperatures of winter are not bad enough, every January and February “Flu Season” comes around, putting an extra damper on anyone’s season who is unlucky enough to contract the persistent and infectious disease. However, for some the flu is more than a pesky illness that requires…
Rarely does anyone look forward to putting a loved one in a nursing home. Ideally, we would all be able to provide the care that our aging friends and relatives need in their final years. However, the reality of life often prevents us from doing so and many of us…
Rosewood Heights, a 242 bed nursing home in Syracuse, New York was recently cited for 26 violations relating to patient care and safety standards. According to the December 2012 inspection report, which was recently published on the New York Health Department’s website, three of the violations were classified as “immediate…
A Toledo, Ohio nursing home closed in January 2013 after losing its Medicare and Medicaid provider status, receiving notice of federal fines approaching $140,000, and facing loss of its state license. Ongoing concerns regarding the quality of care led to multiple investigations by state and federal officials. The alleged, unreported…
A substantial percentage of Medicare claims made by for-profit nursing homes were found to be “improper,” according to a report issued late last year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The percentage of improper claims among for-profit facilities was reportedly more than double the rate for…