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In accordance with changing federal regulations, Medicare has changed the way it reports the average number of staff present in nursing homes. Where earlier methods relied on self-reporting from nursing homes, the new system examines actual payroll records to identify staffing practices. Unfortunately, the new numbers are not encouraging. Significant Understaffing It is worth noting…

Falling is a common risk for elders, and suffering just one fall doubles the probability that a person will fall again. More than one in every four adults over the age of 65 will fall each year, and one out of every five falls results in a serious injury. This raises questions as to whether…

Nursing homes, by their nature, are home to a large amount of contact among people with weakened immune systems. In such environments, contagious diseases can spread quickly, to both residents and staff. There are methods to control this spread, and a good nursing home will do what it can to keep the residents and staff…

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…