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The eyes of the long-term care industry are turned to Louisiana right now. There, House Bill 281 was signed by Governor John Bel Edwards on May 31. The bill grants nursing home residents the right to install surveillance cameras in their rooms. It has received support from The Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA) and the state’s American...

When we place our elders in the care of assisted living and long-term care facilities, we have certain reasonable expectations. Not only do we seek to have them receive the care and treatment they need without neglect or abuse, but we also expect them to not receive anything that would hinder a long, fulfilling life....

Finding the right nursing home for a loved one can be incredibly difficult. Facilities will all talk about how well they care for elders and the strengths of their particular facility, but it is important to know what the daily life and actual care will be like before making a decision. Some of this information...

Elder abuse is a grossly under-reported and devastating problem in our society. Our elders have the right to live without fear or added suffering, and all forms of abuse undermine this right. Once an older loved one has come to the point where they need assistance in their daily lives, we must remain mindful of...

The Trump administration has been busy this year and has taken a particular focus on nursing homes. Throughout the year, the administration has been redefining the relationship between care providers, patients, and regulatory bodies. In June of last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services dropped a short-lived rule that prevented long-term care facilities...

The year 2017 was a difficult year for those of us who want to see nursing homes held to higher standards in caring for their residents. One of the more encouraging recent events was when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) passed a 713-page rule in late 2016, which served as the first...

An unjust procedure Sister Irene Morissette has devoted her life to service and spent decades teaching at a missionary school in Africa. In 2011, at the age of 84, she was admitted to Chateau Vestavia, a nursing home in Birmingham, Alabama. But in 2014, she was sexually assaulted. She reported the assault to staff and...

Alabama residents want to believe that their loved ones are safe when they live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, nursing home residents are too often neglected. Despite the fact that nursing homes are contractually obligated to provide medication management, transportation, personal hygiene and other services, residents are sometimes left in unsanitary conditions....

The elderly are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society. Cognitive impairments, mobility limitations, and underlying age-related illnesses demand that the elderly receive the highest level of protection - particularly from the facilities which are paid to care for them. Unfortunately, these very same limitations cause many cases of nursing home abuse to...

A new policy advocated by the Trump administration would have a direct impact on the legal rights of residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, this policy directive would not be for the better. It has to do with mandatory, binding arbitration agreements, which many nursing home residents are required to sign upon...