Nursing Home & Elder Abuse

• Elder Abuse: Nursing Home Neglect Is a Widespread Problem

  Laura Blatt | June 28, 2007 6:21 PM | 1 CommentNovato, CA

  A nursing home is guilty of neglect when it fails to fulfill its duties to its residents. These obligations can range from providing special diets to taking a frail, elderly person to the toilet at appropriate times. Refusing to answer a resident's page or failing to call his or her doctor may also be neglect. A bedridden nursing home resident should be repositioned at least every two hours to...

• California Law Provides New Rights for Victims of Financial Elder Abuse

  Ray Mattison | May 06, 2008 11:02 PM | 0 CommentsSan Luis Obispo, CA

  California Law provides new rights for victims of elder abuse: mandatory financial insitution reporting and a right to freeze the assets of the wrongdoer before trial.

• Long-term Care in Nursing Homes

  Rick Patterson | February 14, 2008 4:41 PM | 0 CommentsLancaster, CA

  An overhaul of Tennessee's state services to the elderly and disabled may not be in the too distant future. A long-term care study committee will be drafting recommendations to overhaul the current system. The state could pay Tennesseans to take care of relatives and friends rather than sending them to nursing homes. "Govenor Phil Bredesen said he will work with lawmakers to "fundamentally...

• California Budget Cuts May Endanger Elderly

  Randy Walton | January 25, 2008 3:53 PM | 0 CommentsSan Diego County, CA

  Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts of the California budget may increase the risk of elder neglect and abuse to the nearly 150,000 elderly residents of nursing and residential care facilities.According to the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), the proposed cuts will reduce inspections and will further cripple an already struggling program. Moreover, a reduction in the...

• Nearly Half of California Nursing Homes Do Not Meet Federal Standards

  Randy Walton | February 11, 2008 2:46 PM | 0 CommentsSan Diego County, CA

  Medicare and Medicaid released a report this week listing nursing homes and hospitals from around the country that have fallen below benchmarks set for patient restraints, bedsores, and surgical infections. Of the 1400 California nursing homes, 674 made the list.The purpose in releasing the specific nursing homes was to hold accountable the private contractors hired by Medicare and Medicaid to...

• Elder Abuse: Woman Dies After Leaving Palomar Heights Care Center

  Scott Barber | November 27, 2007 7:00 AM | 0 CommentsSan Diego County, CA

  A 94 year-old resident of Palomar Heights Care Center in Escondido died early Thanksgiving morning after wandering out of the facility and being struck by a car. To compound matters the resident, Maria Cobian, was wearing a bracelet intended to alert staff if she attempted to leave the facility. According to Escondido Police, the only door the bracelet doesn't trigger an alarm. "Either she...

• Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect & Little known facts

  Susy Owen | September 29, 2007 6:40 PM | 0 CommentsSanta Clarita, CA

  Would it surprise you to know that nursing home abuse and neglect is more prevalent in facilities that are owned by private investment firms. With many of our elderly in need of nursing homes in terms of business there is big money to be made. And that fact has not gone unnoticed by investment firms. However, business are looking at their bottom line and are often employ aggressive cost cutting...

• Woman Dies in Nursing Home Due to Lack of Care

  Rick Patterson | December 26, 2007 5:35 PM | 0 CommentsLancaster, CA

  Nursing home care has long been a concern. Families leave their loved ones in the care of others and many times that care falls short of what one would expect. Recently a nursing home known as Pacific Coast Manor was issued the most severe citation under state law. In addition to the citation, they were fined $100,000 after a state investigation concluded inadequate care led to the death of a...

• Nursing Home Citations Up 22% Nationwide

  Randy Walton | December 20, 2007 11:44 PM | 0 CommentsSan Diego, CA

  Recent studies show that citations for serious violations issued against nursing homes is up 22% nationwide.A USA Today analysis, examining records from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, shows that from 2000 through 2006, the number of citations for putting patients in "immediate jeopardy" had increased 22%. Those citations are considered the most serious and often follow cases in which...

• Abuse of Antipsychotic Drugs Found in U.S. Nursing Homes

  Randy Walton | December 04, 2007 7:35 PM | 0 CommentsSan Diego, CA

  Studies show that Medicaid spends more money on antipsychotic drugs for Americans than any other prescription drug. Why? Because nursing homes across the country are giving these powerful drugs to elderly residents for the purposes of "quieting" them.The Wall Street Journal is reporting that nearly 30% of the total nursing home population is receiving antipsychotic drugs in a practice that is...