Articles Posted in Nursing Home Neglect

This week, PublicSource.org published an article about the state of nursing home care in Western Pennsylvania. By analyzing information from the full text of federal nursing home inspection reports that is now available online through the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), PublicSource found that more deficiencies were issued in Pittsburgh than in any other city in the state.

What’s more disturbing is that inspectors gave 446 deficiencies to 35 Pittsburgh nursing homes in just three years, according to the data. That’s a rate of almost 13 deficiencies per nursing home, which is greater than the national average of six to seven deficiencies per inspection.

The analysis also showed that six nursing homes in Western Pennsylvania had the majority of the state’s worst scores, meaning that residents in those homes were in “immediate jeopardy.”

As Christmas quickly approaches, time is running out for those last-minute shoppers. But Hints from Heloise offers some practical suggestions from a nursing assistant for those in need of a gift for a loved one in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility.

Socks: An elderly person’s feet are often cold, so socks are always a safe bet. They can also get lost in the laundry, so it’s a good idea to put the person’s name on the socks.

Shawls for Women: It can be cold during the day and a shawl is a great way to cover the shoulders when a patient is sitting up.

Last week, Schuylkill Health gave the elderly of Schuylkill County an early Christmas present with renovations to the waiting area and check-in and triage area of the emergency wing that are aimed at better serving elderly patients.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, hospital spokesman M. Michale Peckman is quoted as saying, “We’ve changed it into an elder-focused emergency department.”

The renovations that were just completed at East Norwegian Street are phase I of the project and totalled $1.2 million. Phase II involves developing a new system by which each elderly patient is evaluated.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health shared some good news this week: health care-associated infections (HAIs) have been decreasing across the state. The department’s annual 2011 report showed that infections obtained while receiving medical care decreased more than 3 percent.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, three benchmarks were used to determine hospital performance, including catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central-line blood stream infections, and six types of surgical site infections.

Here in Schuylkill County is no exception. The article said that the overall HAI rate at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street was 0.89 percent for 2011, down from 1.16 percent in 2010, 1.30 percent in 2009, and 1.15 in 2008. The overall HAI rate st Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street was 1.02 percent for 2011, down from 1.70 in 2010, 2.51 in 2009, and 2.07 in 2008.

An article on the RepublicanHerald.com reports that the former FesslerUSA building in Orwigsburg could become affordable housing for senior citizens.

“Normally, we don’t go outside of Pottsville but the opportunity presented itself. It’s a nice building. It works for what we do,” said the CEO of Barefield Development Corp.

According to the article, the senior housing could include 20 to 25 units, consisting of a few two-bedroom apartments and mostly one-bedroom apartments.

We all know that aspirin can help when we have a headache or sore back. But studies show other benefits from this small, over-the-counter product.

According to an article on Yahoo Health, multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person’s risk of colon cancer from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the risk of dying post-colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.

In older adults, one baby aspirin a day can protect memory and cognitive function. It can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 55 percent.

Today two former workers from the Arbors at Buck Run nursing home in Festerville are in jail and the nursing home’s license has been revoked by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) after a surveillance video caught the workers abusing an elderly patient.

The daughter of a patient was suspicious about the way her mother was being treated, so she installed hidden cameras in her mother’s room. Video shows the workers “dumping” a resident on a bed and “manhandling” the patient. The abuse happened repeatedly between October 16 and Novemeber 13.

Police have charged the two workers with neglect of a care dependent person, reckless endangerment, simple assault, and harassment. They are in Bucks County Jail after failing to post $100,000 bail.

This week, the NewJerseyNewsRoom.com published some good advice for families who may have elderly relatives in a nursing home. Although you may be tempted to bring the family member home for the day on the holiday, there are some things that you should consider.

If your elderly family member has Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, he or she may become emotionally confused by all the people celebrating at your home. The level of noise may also be too much for them. The elderly family member may even “act out.” The article notes that even those with mild dementia do better in a controlled, calm environment. He or she will feel much safer in the nursing home rather than your home, which might get crowded and noisy.

Caregivers need a day to let go of their caregiving responsibilities, even if the caregiving that is provided is only in an oversight position. The holiday is a time for you to enjoy yourself, recharge your batteries, and join in the festivities.

Tis the season for Christmas shopping…but when shopping for a loved one who may be in an assisted living facility, our guesses for what he or she might need might not be on mark.

A recent article on NewJerseyNewsRoom.com recently addressed a question about purchasing furniture for a grandfather who had recently moved to an assisted living residence. The man brought his favorite and well-used recliner with him, complete with holes in the chair’s arms. His daughter wanted to replace the chair with something newer, but experts advise that moving from one’s home to such a facility can be traumatic enough. The well-used chair may provide emotional security for such a life change.

However, making or buying new arm rest covers would provide an option without replacing the chair. Another suggestion if the springs are worn out is to take your loved one to a furniture store to try out chairs. This way, he or she can find one that really fits. To make it a surprise, you can pretend that you are buying it for someone else, but need their point of view to help in the selection process.

It’s become a necessary but unwanted trend across the state: counties that still own nursing homes are deciding to cut back on service or find new sources of money to make up for declining medical assistance payments. It’s cutting into their revenue while costs such as pay and benefits for employees continue to rise.

An article on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review online points out that at one time, 50 counties in Pennsylvania had county-operated nursing homes. But according to the Pennsylvania Association of County Affiliated Homes, only 29 counties now run a total of 33 nursing homes.

Michael Witt, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of County Affilitated Homes says, “It’s not just county nursing homes; most nursing homes are struggling. It’s simply because the state has failed to keep up the reimbursements with the expenses.”