Assisting living facilities are a popular alternative to the traditional nursing home and the number of facilities opening here in Ohio and around the country are growing fast. But is this tread good for our seniors? The biggest danger is, are they staffed with enough well-trained personnel? A recent article highlighted this
Falling can be deadly for any of us, but especially for people over 65 years of age. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) just issued a report outlining the danger and prevalence of falls in nursing homes and at home. The numbers are scary: In 2014, falls caused 27,000 deaths and 7 million
We’re all grown-ups, right? So why is it still so hard to talk to our aging parents about leaving their homes and moving to senior living? A recent poll found that 35 percent of respondents most feared speaking to their parents about the need for long-term care or a move to assisted living. This topic
As healthcare consumers, we rely on the government to protect our loved ones from unscrupulous caregivers. Each year the US Department of Health and Human Services compiles evidence from assisted living facilities across the country. The HHS has recently released its Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report. Think of it as an
Your elderly mom probably doesn’t use social media, but what about her caregivers? How do nursing home resident rights come into play online? As we work to prevent elder abuse in nursing homes, physical harm is the first thing on our minds. But virtual abuse and exploitation can also be devastating. Advocates have been calling
Last month, while the Republican National Convention was held right here in Cleveland, I reviewed what the GOP platform had to say about elder care and nursing home laws. Since then, the Democratic party has released its 2016 platform during its convention in Philadelphia. So I wanted to be sure to take a look at
Yet another voice has joined the chorus of consumer advocates, lawyers, and journalists calling for a ban on forced arbitration in nursing home contracts. The editorial board of the New York Times has published a piece titled “Nursing Home Residents Still Vulnerable to Abuse.” In the article, the well-respected paper calls for an all-out ban
This year’s Republican National Convention has drawn quite the spotlight to Cleveland, and it has been very exciting… so far! My office is just a few blocks away from the downtown convention center, and it’s rare to step outside without encountering visitors dressed in red, white, and blue; or local, national, or international press; not
I am taking a detour from one of our regular topics of nursing negligence in long-term care to comment on an interesting news item about nursing home costs. It probably is no surprise that the cost of long-term care is on the rise, but the numbers might surprise you. It might be cheaper to check
Traditional efforts to prevent nursing home abuse have focused on the nursing staff. Lawmakers have considered reforming all kinds of staffing practices, from background checks and training to data collection. But a new study finds that we should be just as concerned about elder abuse by roommates and neighbors. At least one in five seniors
