Welfare and Institutions Code section 15610.07 provides that abuse of an elder includes “[p]hysical abuse, neglect, financial abuse, abandonment, isolation, abduction, or other treatment with resulting physical harm or pain or mental suffering” or “[t]he deprivation by a care custodian of goods or services that are necessary to avoid physical…
If your loved one currently resides in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or nursing home in Southern California, and has problems receiving adequate nutrition, you may have considered whether your loved one should use a feeding tube. According to a recent article titled Enteral Nutrition for Older Adults in Nursing…
Relevant factors that generally lead to placement of elders into nursing homes or long-term care are advanced age, cognitive dysfunctions, and physical disability. The role of acute care hospitalization is little known but also a significant risk factor for long-term institutionalization of elders. According to a recent study published in…
In nursing homes, staffing levels of registered nurses (RNs) and the amount of RN direct care time are strongly correlated with avoidable nursing home injuries (“adverse clinical outcomes”), including pressure ulcers/sores, urinary tract infections (UTIs), weight loss, and deterioration in the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Because…
Under California Health and Safety Code Section 1276.5, skilled nursing facilities are required to provide at least 3.2 nursing hours per patient, per day. The “nursing hours” include only the hours work performed by direct caregivers, which include not only registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses, but also aides, orderlies…
Pressure ulcers are debilitating chronic wounds that cause torture and suffering to those inflicted, and in severe cases carry the substantial probability of death. Elderly residents of Alameda County and Bay Area nursing homes with physical and or cognitive impairments- especially those with a higher number of medical problems- face…
Improving the quality of care in California nursing homes is one of the most pressing issues facing our state today. Yes, it’s even more important than our budget problems or who we elect to lead us in the political arena. Regardless of our social backgrounds or political opinions, none of…
One of the most serious health risks facing the elderly today are fall related injuries. The National Safety Council estimates that people over the age of 65 have the highest death rate from fall related injuries. In a recent research article entitled “Effectiveness of Intervention Programs in Preventing Falls: A…
A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association on fall rates in Bavarian nursing homes provides helpful insight on preventing falls in Los Angeles Nursing Homes. The study showed, for example, that the fall rate of men was higher than that of women (2.18 and…
Although understaffing is a common denominator of most injuries sustained by residents of California nursing homes, the issue of staffing is equally one of quality as it is quantity. Labor costs naturally comprise the most significant portion of a nursing home’s expenses. But both sufficient and qualified staffing are the…