Nursing Home & Elder Abuse

• Bill Would Speed Up California Nursing Home Complaint Investigations

  Laura Blatt | June 18, 2007 6:40 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  Many California consumer groups are supporting AB 399, a state bill that would require nursing home complaint investigations to be completed within 40 days, and ensure that those who file the complaints receive a written summary of the findings. The proposed legislation would also give the complainant 15 business days, rather than the current 5 business days, in which to request an informal...

• Nursing Home Resident Found Dead

  Rick Patterson | June 18, 2007 4:28 PM | 0 CommentsLancaster, CA

  On April 17, 2004, 74-year-old Julia McCauley died at the hands of the care takers that she put her trust in. The facility, Life Care Centers of America Inc., was charged with manslaughter, abuse, neglect and making a false Medicaid Claim in connection with the elderly resident's death. They now face what amounts to a slap on the hand: A maximum of $16,000 in fines: $1,000 on the manslaughter...

• Nursing Homes Negligence Continues to Grow and Profit

  IB Contributor | June 17, 2007 9:56 PM | 0 CommentsOrange County, CA

  Is there profit in negligent nursing home care?The number of nursing homes in Arizona with serious problems has grown considerably over the last two years, according to an Associated Press news report posted on the Tucson Citizen's Web site. Last year, the report states, inspectors found 11 nursing homes were below standard - that's 13 percent of the state's nursing homes.Inspectors found that...

• Wisconsin Nursing Home Resident May Have Been Abused

  Shannon Weidemann | June 08, 2007 2:23 PM | 0 CommentsLong Beach, CA

  A resident of the Allis Care Center in West Allis, Wisconsin may have been a victim of nursing home abuse. The woman was being treated for diabetes. Her family got a call that she had fell from her wheelchair and was taken to the hospital. Andalhari says, "my grandmother looked like, as if someone had a bat and beat her. Beat her face, the left side, with a bat. As if she was punched in the...

• Nursing Home Abuses: Oversight of California Nursing Homes

  Laura Blatt | June 05, 2007 11:23 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  A recent state audit criticized the California Department of Health Services (DHS) for not doing an adequate job of overseeing the quality of nursing homes. Some DHS employees overlooked or underestimated nursing home violations, the audit said. Also, the timing of inspections was quite predictable, so it was too easy for a nursing home to prepare for the visit and hide deficiencies.The DHS...

• Nursing Home Abuse: Finding Out About California Nursing Home Violations

  Laura Blatt | June 01, 2007 6:51 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  When it comes to quality care for the elderly, California nursing homes have a mixed record. Some deliver good service, but too many have been cited for serious deficiencies. In 2005 alone, for example, the California Department of Health Services (DHS) received 21,388 complaints, and this may be an understatement of the problem.Wouldn't it be helpful to know about a nursing home's history of...

• Nursing Home Abuse: Nursing Homes with Repeated Violations

  Laura Blatt | June 01, 2007 5:44 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  In 2006, one in five nursing homes received citations for violations that could seriously harm residents. This figure comes from recent studies by the GAO (Government Accountability Office), which has been tracking nursing home performance for the last decade and reporting back to Congress at least once a year.Sadly, the GAO found that some nursing homes repeatedly violated federal and state...

• Preventing & Reporting Elder Abuse

  Rick Patterson | May 25, 2007 3:02 PM | 1 CommentLancaster, CA

  A study that was conducted in 2004 by the Adult Protective Services showed that there was a 19.7-percent increase in the combined total reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse. For example, in Fauquier County alone, there were 141 cases reported in between June 2006 and May 2007, according to Mittie Wallace who is a program manager for the elderly and disabled for the Fauquier County...

• Dorset Nursing Home Accused of Elder Neglect

  Rick Patterson | May 17, 2007 2:58 PM | 0 CommentsLancaster, CA

  Serious concerns have been raised by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) after inspecting Marlborough House, a 52-bed nursing home in Dorset, South West England. Concerns raised, which were much the same as concerns raised here in substandard U. S facilities, include standards of health, shortfalls in nutrition and poorly trained staff. The original report was made in January of...

• Nursing Home Neglect Results in Death

  Susy Owen | May 13, 2007 6:13 PM | 0 CommentsSanta Clarita, CA

  It is a frightening thought that one day you may end up in a nursing home with care takers that do any but tend to your needs. I am not suggesting that there are not some excellent nursing homes out there. In fact there are many, but then there are the others. The kind that you hope you don't find yourself or a loved one in some day - such was the case in a Pierce County nursing home. It is...