A recent study titled “Emergency Hospitalizations for Adverse Drug Events in Elder Adults” available in the November 2011 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine has discovered four drugs that are directly responsible for two thirds of all hospitalizations and overdoses in elder adults. Interestingly enough, these drugs are…
Studies show that one in five adults residing in nursing homes experience agitation, which can manifest itself as irritability, apathy, or depression. While agitation occurs in adults who are relatively healthy, it becomes problematic when adults who have dementia become agitated because these cases of agitation are more likely to…
The use of physical restraints in nursing homes is a very controversial issue because it presents a situation in which a person’s fundamental rights may be violated and elder abuse may be taking place. According to the Joanna Briggs Institute, a physical restraint is defined as “any device, material or…
In today’s scientifically advanced world, determining whether or not a nursing home resident displays symptoms of depression can be done quite simply and accurately. A more prevalent issue relating to depression involves the quality of treatment in nursing homes. A recent study titled “Antidepressant Prescribing Patterns in the Nursing Home:…
Weight loss is a very common issue among residents of nursing homes. Although it may seem to have a simple solution given the availability of food, malnutrition is actually a very serious, multifaceted problem because it is a direct cause of increased morbidity and mortality and poorer quality of life.…
If your loved one resides in a nursing home and has dementia, you should work with the medical staff to ensure that your loved one lives in conditions that facilitate a good quality of life. According to the recent article titled Quality of Life of Nursing Home Residents With Dementia:…
On October 25, 2011, Kanawha Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. affirmed an approximately $90 million award to the family of Dorothy Douglas who died after spending few weeks at a nursing home owned by HCR Manorcare in West Virginia. When Dorothy Douglas was admitted to the nursing home, Heartland of…
If your loved one resides in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or nursing home in Southern California, you should be mindful of the risks of malnutrition and related health problems. A study was conducted with nursing home residents in Germany, described in the article titled Prevalence of Malnutrition in Orally…
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a harmless type of staph bacteria that lives on the surface of the skin. It does not become problematic until it enters the body through an open wound, breathing tube, or catheter. Because MRSA is resistant to certain antibiotics that are commonly used to treat…
Nursing homes that get reimbursed from Medicare and Medicaid for residents’ services- approximately 96% of all U.S. nursing homes- must be certified and inspected annually. If a nursing home fails to meet federal requirements, inspectors cite the nursing home for violating specific standards (deficiency citations). Violations cited are first assessed…