Nursing Home Nurse Pleads Guilty to Patient’s Overdose Death

In yet another instance of nursing home drug abuse, a nurse at a North Carolina facility pleaded guilty to the overdose death of one of her patients two years ago....
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Nursing Home Fall Leads to Resident’s Death

For most people, falling at home is inconvenient and potentially embarrassing. It can be painful, but it is rarely a serious event. This is not true for many elderly citizens,...
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Feeding Tubes May Increase the Risk of Pressure Sores for Bedridden Residents

Pressure ulcers are caused by remaining in the same position for too long, which restricts blood flow and can kill the tissue. Also known as bed sores, they are difficult...
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New Jersey Granny Cam Footage Shows Resident Being Abused By Facility Staff

The debate over whether or not to use hidden cameras in nursing homes is a contentious one. Proponents argue that the “granny cams” help to identify nursing home abuse. Furthermore,...
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National Nursing Home Week 2012

National Nursing Home Week begins today, May 13 and runs through May 19. The week is meant to honor those who “contribute” to nursing homes across the country, including staff,...
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New Fabric Designed to Help Reduce the Risk of Pressure Sores

When a person remains in the same position for too long he can develop a pressure ulcer. Wounds can develop when blood flow to an area is reduced or obstructed...
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CMS Initiative Seeks to Reduce Misuse of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes

On March 29, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new initiative to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications on nursing home residents. In a previous...
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Florida Legislature Fails to Address Assisted Living Facility Neglect Despite Recommendations from the Governor’s ALF Task Force

In response to a growing number reports of assisted living facility abuse and the Miami Herald's series on ALF neglect, Florida governor Rick Scott charged a task force with finding...
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Anti-Psychotic Drugs Unnecessarily Prescribed to Nursing Home Residents

Nursing home resident advocates have long questioned the use of anti-psychotic drugs on residents who do not need them. Those at the Alzheimers Reading Room have speculated that the practice...
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Nursing Home Pharmacy Errors Linked to Illegal Kickbacks

Investigation by the California Department of Public Health uncovered numerous pharmacy errors made in nursing homes. During the course of the probe, officials found one woman with a history of seizures...
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Data Indicates Nursing Home Abuse Likely to Continue

Nursing home abuse and neglect are not problems in every facility, but it is something that many residents experience. Hive Health Media (HHM) recently took existing data on nursing home...
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Medicare Cuts Have Resulted In Nursing Home Layoffs

In October, an 11.1% reduction in Medicare reimbursement rates for nursing homes went into effect. Over the next ten years, nursing homes across the country will lose a total of...
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Florida Supreme Court Limits Nursing Home Arbitration Agreement Abuses

It is a fairly common practice for nursing homes to require potential new patients and their families to sign agreements saying they will go into arbitration for legal disputes rather...
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Are Florida Lawmakers Beginning to Address Assisted Living Facility Abuse?

Florida lawmakers are now considering changes to the state's oversight of Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs). According to The Ledger, just months after they reportedly considered stripping more regulations designed to...
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Is Florida’s Elder Abuse Watchdog Group Under Attack by Industry Insiders?

Established in the 1960s to protect residents from nursing home abuse and assisted living facility neglect, Florida's elder care ombudsman program seems to be falling apart. With politics encroaching on...
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New Study Shows Older Patients at High Risk of Developing Sepsis

Sepsis occurs when an infection reaches the blood stream. It can be caused by many different types of bacteria and can begin in most any organ of the body. Once...
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State Considers Separating Ombudsman Program

In the last blog entry, I mentioned one solution to the lack of autonomy of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is to move it out from under the umbrella...
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Federal Report Questions Florida’s Oversight of Department of Elder Affairs and Sparks Investigation of Ombudsman Program

Last month the federal government issued criticism of Florida's Department of Elder Affairs and its oversight of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. The Long Term Care Ombudsman is essentially...
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Nursing Homes Claim Poverty While Increasing Profits

Over the summer, nursing homes across the US lost a battle with Medicare that will cost the industry $3.87 billion. Medicare is attempting to recover overpayments and stop overpaying facilities....
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World Alzheimer’s Month

September is World Alzheimer's Month. Advocates and volunteers are working across the country to raise both awareness and funds for research to battle this debilitating disease. According to the Alzheimer's...
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Florida’s Ex-Nursing Home Ombudsman Files Lawsuit Against State

Last week, the Miami Herald reported Brian Lee, the former director of Florida's Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and two industry...
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Florida Gov. Scott’s ALF Task Force May Not Help

In the last entry, I discussed Florida Governor Rick Scott's recent decisions regarding Assisted Living Facilities or ALFs. In addition to vetoing legislation that would have helped ALF owners avoid...
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Is Florida Finally Starting to Address Assisted Living Facility Abuse and Neglect?

An Assisted Living Facility, also known as an ALF, is a place seniors can live that need some assistance with their activities of daily living but do not need enough...
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Nursing Home Indicted For Abuse and Neglect After Patient’s Suicide

Nursing home abuse is not the only cause of patient deaths in care facilities. Sometimes staff ignore or overlook residents' needs or cries for help. This kind of nursing home...
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State Rejects Grant That Would Have Allowed Seniors to Keep Living At Home

Recently a legislative panel in Tallahassee rejected a federal grant that would have helped move elderly patients out of nursing facilities, instead providing them with similar care in their homes....
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