Bed rail entrapment is not a rare occurrence in the hospital and nursing home setting. Despite repeated warnings from consumer groups and the FDA, nursing facilities across the country are using hospital beds that violate well known FDA dimensional guideline addressing safe hospital beds and bed rails, creating in increased…
The New York Times has a story today about the dramatic increase in hospital patients with bedsores over the last 14 years. A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds that over 500,000 patients admitted to U.S. hospitals in 2006 suffered from a bedsore that was developed…
The County of San Diego paid $1.6 million to settle a case filed by Ruth Lomeo against Edgemoor Geriatric Hospital, a county-run nursing home. According to the lawsuit, Lomeo, who was only 44, was given an overdose of fentanyl pain medication by nursing staff at Edgemoor and began to have…
The Des Moines Register reviewed 81 bonus payment programs in over 30 states and found that numerous nursing homes with a below-average care giving rating were receiving quality-of-care bonuses. The newspaper looked at eight federal bonus programs in states where regulatory violations by a nursing home do not automatically disqualify…
It is hoped that a new California law which will go into effect January 1, 2009 will cause increased reporting of thefts from elderly residents of nursing homes. The new law will require police and facility ombudsmen to immediately report cases of known or suspected elder abuse, specifically including theft,…
The California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is the state program responsible to investigate and resolve complaints made by individuals (or their representatives) residing in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. Last week, when the California budget was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, he cut state funding for the ombudsman program.…
A study just released by the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services reports that 94% of all nursing homes nationwide were cited for violations of federal health and safety standards during 2007. Approximately 17% received deficiencies or citations for issues which caused “actual harm or immediate…
The New York Times is reporting this morning that 90% of all nursing homes were cited for violations of federal health and safety standards. Approximately 17% of U.S. nursing homes had deficiencies that caused actual harm. As mentioned in this blog previously, nursing facilities that operate “for-profit” were more likely…
Elder abuse or neglect in the nursing home is a fear many elderly Americans face. A case unfolding in Illinois is about as bad as it gets. According to a report from the states Department of Public Health, several suspicious deaths at the Lake of the Hills nursing home may…
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee approved two bills which will help prevent neglect and abuse of elderly persons. A frequent source of abuse are caregivers who are repeat violent offenders. A bill (S 1577), sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), would create a nationwide background check system to screen…