A doctor, a nurse and a pharmacist have been criminally charged in connection with drugging some 22 nursing home residents with psychotropic medications simply to make them more tranquil. Read the article here. The article notes that 3 people may have died and one suffered great injury as a result. The attorney general noted: 'These people maliciously violated the trust of their patients, by holding them down and Read More
Nursing Home Sued Over Resident Freezing to Death…
An Itasca-area nursing home called The Arbor of Itasca has been sued after an 89-year-old woman, who suffered from dementia, was found frozen to death in the nursing home courtyard. Read the full article here. According to the coroner, the woman was outside for at least 90 minutes. Her family noted that she wasn't even able to leave her bed without assistance and doesn't understand how staff allowed her to slip out Read More
1 Star for Illinois Nursing Home…
A recent article pointed out life inside one of Illinois' "one-star" nursing homes. Notably, when inspectors arrived they found: The lobby smelled of urine. In one room, they found a 97-year-old woman, lying in her own waste. She had severe bruises on her arm, foot and both legs that the staff could not immediately explain. Another resident had a bed sore larger than a golf ball and dripping blood. It was also noted Read More
Nursing Home Sued After Man Dies of Thirst…
The son of a man who died from thirst in a nursing home has filed a lawsuit against the nursing home. Read the full article here. According to an investigation by the Department of Health, staff noticed the man undergo weight loss but didn't notify doctors. The Department of Health found the nursing home be in neglect. When sending loved ones to nursing homes, investigate the nursing homes for past instances of Read More
New Rating System for Nursing Homes Unveiled…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") has just launched "Nursing Home Compare" which provides quality ratings for each of the nation’s 16,000 Medicare and/or Medicaid-certified nursing homes. The rating system is a five-star system based on health inspection results, quality measures, and staffing levels and an overall rating is also provided. Visit the rating system here. CMS suggests using these Read More
New Rating System for Nursing Homes Unveiled…
A former nursing home director was sentenced to 19 months in prison and 3 years of probation for neglecting a 60-year-old woman. For the full article, click here. According to the article, the resident was in agony for 5 days before staff called an ambulance. Apparently, aides had dropped the resident while moving her into her bed. Unbelievably, the nurse waited 5 days before ordering X-rays: despite multiple Read More
CNA indicted for abuse of nursing home resident…
A certified nursing assistant has been indicted for felony abuse of a nursing home resident in Jackson, Mississippi and was arrested Monday, December 8, 2008. For the full article, click here. According to thearticle, the attorney general noted that: she struck the patient -- an elderly woman -- in the eye, causing pain and suffering... Residents have rights to be free from such abuse and neglect. If your loved ones Read More
Nurse Jailed in Neglect of Nursing Home Resident…
A former nursing home director was sentenced to 19 months in prison and 3 years of probation for neglecting a 60-year-old woman. For the full article, click here. According to the article, the resident was in agony for 5 days before staff called an ambulance. Apparently, aides had dropped the resident while moving her into her bed. Unbelievably, the nurse waited 5 days before ordering X-rays: despite multiple Read More
New Illinois Law to Notify Coroners in a Nursing Home Death?
Some Illinois County coroners would like to see a new law requiring nursing homes to report every death for investigation into potential abuse or neglect. For the full article, click here. According to the article, the Illinois State Department of Public Health conducted a pilot project in 10 Illinois counties over the course of a year to determine whether a policy to investigate nursing home deaths by a coroner Read More
Critical Shortage of Care Providers in Nursing Homes…
A recent article notes a critical shortage in nurses and nurse's aides in nursing homes. For the full article click here. The article notes that at a time when the population is aging and more people are entering nursing homes, care is short. According to the article, an American Health Care Association survey released just last month noted alarming statistics: 26 percent, or more than a quarter, of registered nurse Read More
