It is an unfortunate fact that nursing homes frequently use forced arbitration clauses that, once coerced to be signed by a resident, strips him of his legal rights and is rendered powerless in the event of a future dispute. Former US Representative Henry Waxman recently published an op-ed in the…
Adverse events in hospitals remain highly prevalent to this day. From 2008 to 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services conducted a series of studies pertaining to hospital adverse events, which are injurious outcomes from medical care. A Congressionally mandated study was part of this work that sought to…
Too many of our nations extremely vulnerable and fragile older adults are being taken complete advantage of by nursing homes. Nursing homes are increasingly being operated by huge corporations (e.g., Wall Street) that aim for profit more than a genuine commitment to providing quality care for residents. Currently, 60% of…
According to a recent article from The New York Times, federal investigators have reported that Medicare payments received by nursing homes far exceed the amount it costs them to provide care, manipulating the billing system in some instances by providing patients more therapy services than is necessary. The inspector general…
Linda Boly, 59, a registered nurse who had been unjustly terminated by Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center for complaining to management that cost-cutting measures were putting patients at risk, was awarded $3 million last Friday by a Portland jury. Linda reported feeling vindicated by the verdict and hopied that this…
There is something quite unique about Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle that sets it apart from other senior living communities. Not only is it home to approximately 400 older adult residents in need of various types of care, it is also home to the Intergenerational Learning Center—a preschool that…
A recent congressional report stated that in “numerous” nursing homes across the nation, older adult residents experience serious physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. A study was performed by the minority (Democratic and Independent) staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee that found that 30% of…
Urinary incontinence and behavioral problems that come with dementia are frequently cited among the most common markers necessitating nursing home placement for elderly patients. A study analyzed urinary incontinence prevalence in 321 older adult nursing home residents (average age 81.5 years) in a large city in Brazil. The overall urinary…
Fine print hidden in nursing home admissions contracts has stripped the constitutional rights of nursing home residents and their love ones for far too long. Amidst the extremely stressful process of being admitted into a nursing home, residents and their families are pushed into signing an agreement that waves their…
According to a recent report, the federal trial court has ruled that a nursing home operator in North Carolina is unable to claim privilege in protecting documents authored by its safety committee from being disclosed. The case arose when a resident passed away, allegedly because of injuries obtained from an accident that involved…