Take time during the holidays to visit elderly friends and relatives who live alone or in nursing homes. Although the holidays emphasize family, festivities and fun, many people experience increased loneliness and isolation. However, you can add some joy to their lives. Preventing Senior Loneliness During the Holidays Studies show that 60 percent of nursing […]
Nursing home understaffing affects every measure of patient care. Over the holidays, the strain on the staff shows more than ever. Patients are endangered whenever nurses and orderlies skip work on holidays, weekends and unpopular late-night shifts. How Overworked Health Care Workers Affect Patient Care Health care workers have important jobs. Their skills are needed […]
In September 2016, the government took a step forward by banning federally funded nursing homes from forcing residents to accept mandatory arbitration agreements. These clauses prevent patients and family members from filing lawsuits following nursing home neglect, elder abuse and severe crimes like rape and murder. However, the industry’s most powerful groups don’t want you […]
CMS (Medicare/Medicaid) is considering a rule change barring mandatory arbitration agreements in nursing home contracts, and has asked for public comment. The time to comment ends September 14. For those who do not know, as it stands today, when you admit a loved-one into a nursing home, hidden among all the paperwork is a document […]
It is important for your loved one that you spend a large amount of time researching the nursing home before choosing the one to send him or her to. Do not judge the nursing home on the basis of a guided tour or the nice furniture or attractive physical features of the facility. Visit with residents You should find […]
Emotional abuse may include insults, humiliation, threats, and attempts to frighten the resident; it can also be a crime of omission, as when the resident is ignored, disregarded, and/or isolated against his or her will. Neglect can consist of withholding food, water, and/or medication as well as failure to change bedding or take care of […]
It is vital for your family member that you spend a considerable amount of time researching the nursing home before you make a final decision. Do not judge the nursing home solely on the basis of a guided tour or the nice furniture or attractive physical features of the facility. Visit with residents You should […]
Nursing home patients may find themselves subject to dozens of adverse conditions through no fault of their own: bed injuries, pressure ulcers, falls, fractures, malnutrition and dehydration are some of the more prominent injuries. BED INJURIES Between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 2010, the FDA received 828 incidents of patients caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled […]
91% of nursing homes lack adequate staff to properly care for patients 36% of nursing homes have been cited for violation of elder abuse laws In 2010, there were 5,961,568 elderly abuse cases reported in the U.S. Not all of these are attributed to nursing homes, but still a staggering number Even with continued attention […]
Between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 2010, the FDA received 828 incidents of patients caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in hospital beds. The reports included 493 deaths, 141 nonfatal injuries, and 194 cases where staff needed to intervene to prevent injuries. Some siderails extend the full length of the bed; others, called half rails, […]