Over 3.4 million nurses are employed at various healthcare facilities throughout the United States. Although, a commendable and necessary profession, low wages, coupled with a stressful work environment, leads to an exceedingly high turnover rate in the nursing industry. Most nurses work extensive shifts and are consumed with tedious work…
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s affects 40% of the American population, constituting the disease as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Due to the staggering amount of people affected, coupled with the severity of the disease, scientists are allocating more resources to Alzheimer’s research. Proteome…
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the SCAN Health Plan, and The Commonwealth Fund produced the second annual State Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard, which gages system performance from the perspective of service users and their families. The finest quality of care in a skilled nursing…
Omnicare Incorporated is required to pay $124 million to settle two slander lawsuits claiming Omnicare failed to comply with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Omnicare Inc., one of the largest distributors of drugs and other pharmaceutical products to various skilled nursing facilities across the United States, allegedly provided discounts to certain…
As reported in the Los Angeles Times , a study shows that in 1999, more than 98,000 wrongful deaths occurred due to medical error, and the number has since fluctuated significantly. The majority of medical errors are caused by the negligence of healthcare professionals when distributing medications. Certain combinations of antibiotics can lead…
Recent revisions to Medicare’s policy on physical therapy and other services are leading to more coverage for those requiring skilled care from outpatient therapy, home health, and skilled nursing facilities. Prior to this revision, many individuals were unable to obtain insurance coverage for treatments, including physical therapy and occupational therapy,…
It is becoming increasingly evident that pharmacological interventions should be a last resort when treating patients with dementia. Due to a lack of resources and staff most skilled nursing home facilities overlook non-pharmacological options. However, studies have shown that non-pharmacological treatments are a safer alternative for patients. While pharmacological interventions…
One may feel that by placing their loved ones under the care of a skilled nursing facility, they would be provided with quality care. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. An investigation began on March 29, 2013 when an employee at an assisted living facility, Alzheimer’s Care of Commerce…
Of the symptoms associated with dementia, one of the most common is agitation. It is common for sufferers of dementia to be increasingly agitated at meal times. According to an article in the Journal of American Medical Directors Association, “Effectiveness of Mealtime Interventions on Behavior Symptoms of People with Dementia…
More often than not we are forced to do things that we would prefer not to. One example would be placing our loved ones under the care and supervision of a skilled nursing facility. When our loved ones are in a fragile state, we would like to keep them as…