Articles Posted in Nursing Home Neglect

It’s an unfortunate situation that’s being played out in nursing homes across the country: antipsychotic drugs being used on residents of long-term care facililties as chemical restraints.

According to TheConsumerVoice.org, patients in these facilities are being placed on antipsychotic medications, even though they have no proper diagnosis to warrant their use. For example, 26% of all nursing home residents are given antipsychotic medication and use is higher with dementia patients (nearly 40%).

What’s shocking is that the risks from these medications are sometimes not discussed with residents or their families, even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDS) has warned that these patients are at risk of medical complications and death from taking this type of medication. In long-term care patients, antipsychotic medications can:

Instead of preparing for the holidays, residents of a Berks County nursing home are preparing to find a new place to live. That’s because this week, the owner of Golden Ridge Personal Care Home in Robesonia announced that they will be closing due to taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to an article on WFMZ.com, the owner, Lynn Zerbe, said, “It’s very difficult, but unfortunately, with the back taxes for the I.R.S, there’s no choice in the matter. These residents are family to me, and it kills me that this ia happening right before the holidays, and it kills me that it has to happen at all.”

The Department of Public Welfare came to Golden Ridge this week to help residents identify other places where they can move. If family members could not make the meeting, they can call the Department of Public Welfare at 866-503-3926.

According to the 10th annual MetLife survey of eldercare costs, the national average annual cost for a private nursing home room climbed to $90,520 this year. Semi-private rooms went up to $81,030 and assisted living residencies increased to $42,6000.

The costs are spelled out in detail in an article on McKnights.com. It reports that average charges for private nursing home rooms went up 3.8%, to $239 per day. Semi-private nursing home rooms increased 3.7%, to $222 per day. Assisted living rates increased 2.1%, to $3,477 a month.

In addition, homemakers services increased from $19 to $20 per hour. However, services for home health aides and adult day services remain unchanged.

Pinecrest Manor in St. Marys, Elk County, has something to brag about: they’ve been added to the top 4 percent of nursing homes nationwide.

An article on TheCourierExpress.com explained that this achievement was reached because Pincrest had no deficiency on its resident care survey from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Nursing Care Facilities. Typically, a nursing home can have 7 to 8 deficiencies.

The facility has been working towards this goal of no deficiencies since 2010. That year, they had 8 deficiencies. In 2011, they lowered that number to just 2.

A wrongful death lawsuit against Friendship Ridge Nursing Home in Beaver County, PA and six individuals has been tranferred to U.S. District Court because it alleges civil rights violations.

According to an article on TimesOnline.com, a 40-year-old man who was severely mentally disabled was committed to Friendship Ridge because of his need for treatment at an in-patient facility. Although he suffered from sleep apnea and required a CPAP machine, he did not have the machine when he was admitted to the facility and no machine was made available to him.

The night that he was admitted, he was given a prescription meant for another patient. A short time later he was given more prescriptions that were meant for him. The drugs he was given are known to suppress the central nervous system, which compromised his ability to breath, according to the lawsuit.

According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Medicare’s skilled nursing benefits might need to be updated to include palliative care or hospice care services.

The study reports that about 30% orf Medicare beneficiaries spend their last days in skilled nursing facilities rather than in hospice care, even if the facilities aren’t properly equipped for end-of-life care. What’s disturbing is the fact that this could be due to Medicare’s reimbursement system.

An article on SeniorHousingCare.com notes that nursing homes more often provide short-term rehabilitation and long-term care, but aren’t always equipped for treating and preventing pain, which is the service provided in palliative or hospice care. As a result, some patients who may be better suited with hospice care are instead placed in nursing homes because it can be less expensive.

Concern is growing in Warren County as efforts are underway to privatize some of the services at Warren Haven, the county’s nursing home.

According to an article on LehighValleyLive.com, a cost-cutting plan has been proposed that would allow a private company to take over tasks such as laundry, housekeeping, and food service operations. But that plan could mean eliminating over 30 union jobs.

These possible changes are due to the $3.5 million loss, a lowered Medicare reimbursement rate, and state cap laws that the facility faced this year.

Attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law helped to celebrate with residents of Berks County during the 9th Annual Latin Festival held at the First Energy Stadium in Reading, held on Sat., Sept. 29.

The law firm’s booth, located next to the stage, provided a perfect view of the event while handing out free t-shirts, pens, and other giveaways to festival attendees.

Ana Cruz was the big winner of the day, leaving with a 32″ LCD high definition TV compliments of O’Connor Law. Jaime Diaz won a backpack filled with school supplies. Another lucky attendee won a Michael J.O’Connor Law umbrella.

This month, long-term care facilities across the country are celebrating Residents’ Rights Month, bringing awareness to and celebrating the dignity, respect, and value of each individual resident.This year’s theme is “My Voice, My Vote, My Right” which encourages residents to vote and participate in the political process.

Residents’ Right Month is celebrated annually each October and is designated by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (also known as the “Consumer Voice”). According to the Consumer Voice website, it is a time to reflect on the importance of the Nursing Home Reform Law of 1987 that promises quality of life, quality of care, and rights for each resident.

During this month, residents are encouraged to think about and respond to questions such as:

In November of 2011, an 80-year-old resident of Warner’s Home for the Aged in Altoona died 12 days after being admitted to the facility. As a result, the home’s owner and two aides are facing neglect charges in the resident’s death.

According to an article on WRTA.com, a doctor told a grand jury that the resident had numerous unattended sores and that this was the worst case of neglect that he had seen in 30 years.

The operator of Warner’s Home and the two aides have been charged wtih one count each of neglect of a care-dependent person, which is considered a misdemeanor. Preliminary hearings for all three will be held in early October.

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