Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

If you are looking for nursing home abuse and neglect report you should visit : http://www.nursing-homes-ratings.com/. Nursing Home Ratings. com hosts information about nursing homes in your area. They provide data on the each nursing home’s inspections and resident ratings. The only downfall with the site is that it is not up to date in every state. It does provide with with a list of many homes.

Good luck with your search.

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

Nursing Home Aduse is a serious crime. Most states have laws that include criminal penalties for different types of elder abuse. Often, nursing home abuse is not reported  because the individual homes do not take elderly abuse seriously. Residents are afraid they will be embarrassed, hurt or declared incapacitated if they tell.

Who to Report Abuse to

If you or someone you love has been the victim of nursing home abuse, contact legal counsel to find out what your rights are. If someone is in immediate, life-threatening danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If the danger is not immediate, but abuse is suspected, you must tell someone. Contact:

• A doctor

• A family member you trust

• Local adult protective services

• Long-term care ombudsman for the appropriate state

• Local police

How to Report Abuse

It is everyone’s personal responsibility to report any suspected case of elderly abuse to the authorities. When making a call to report nursing home or senior living abuse, you should be ready to give the elder’s name, address, contact information and details about your concerns.

Some questions you may need to answer include:

• Does the elderly person have any known medical problems?

• What kinds of family or other social support system does the elderly person have?

• Have you witnessed any incidents of hitting, yelling or other abusive behavior?
If you are reporting abuse but are not related to the victim, calling a nursing home abuse hotline is your smartest choice. Each state has organizations that monitor these hotlines and can offer help.

If you are making a formal complaint against a nursing home or specific staff member, you should find a sitter to monitor them in your absence or remove them from the nursing home right away.
 

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

An inquiry into acute care in New South Wales public hospitals is claiming elderly patients are being pressured into accepting nursing home beds even though they may not be suitable for the nursing home.

A social worker at Blacktown Hospital, Claudia Graham, has told the inquiry many elderly patients are discharged from hospital too quickly.

Ms Graham says families are often forced to place their loved ones in unsuitable aged care facilities because of pressure from the hospital to make beds available for other patients.

She says she often witnesses a rapid deterioration in elderly patients who have been told they will have to go into a nursing home.

Ms Graham wants to see a change of emphasis from patient flow to patient care.

She has told the inquiry more transitional care beds should be made available to allow time to find suitable nursing homes for patients.

The inquiry is taking evidence today at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital.

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

A jury Thursday awarded $1 million in punitive damages to the family of a 104-year-old woman who died after a short stay at Villa Valencia Nursing Home in Laguna Hills.

The judgment against the center’s owner, Virginia-based Sunrise Senior Living, comes two days after the same Orange County Superior Court panel rendered a separate $1 million verdict for negligence in the March 2005 death of Mary Kathleen Adams of Laguna Hills.

Sunrise Senior Living operates 440 senior homes in the U.S. and abroad – says it will appeal the decision.

The trial, which began in March, revolved around the physical decline of Adams, a retired teacher who admitted herself to the home after fracturing her leg.

Adams then developed pressure ulcers and was not given adequate treatment, such as daily skin checks, according to the lawsuit. She left the home after about two months, on Feb. 25, 2005, and died about two weeks later because of the ulcers, the lawsuit says.

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Medicaid is known as the government health-care program for the poor, but it pays for more than two-thirds of long-term nursing-home stays. That means many middle-income Americans with savings will need the program. Ultimately, medicaid will cover nursing-home care for nearly everyone who needs it but can’t afford to pay on their own.

All Medicaid beneficiaries fit into one of several qualifying categories  of the program - 65 years of age or older, blind or disabled, for example. You must also submit financials that take into account both your income , assets as well as those of your spouse if you are married. The final category is  the people eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration.

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

The LA Times reported on Monday that seniors may save money by remaining in their home as they age.

Below are the reported cost averages:

*Average national cost per year of private-room nursing-home care: $77,745*

* Average national base rate per year of assisted-living care: $35,628**

* Average cost per year of one hour per day of home healthcare provided by a licensed practical nurse: $13,468***

* Average cost per year of one hour per day of care provided by a home health aide: $6,916***

*Average nursing home costs in Southern California are closer to $100,000 per year.

**As much as several hundred dollars per month may be added for such services as diabetic care, medication management or additional meals.

***For total costs under these scenarios, housing and living expenses should be factored in.

Source: MetLife, AARP,LA TIMES

Monday, February 25th, 2008

After initially resisting their disclosure, the Bush administration on Tuesday published the names of 131 nursing homes with poor inspection records and said some were already showing signs of improvement.The list released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services represents troubled facilities cited as a “special focus facility,” a designation used to identify those that merit more oversight. For these homes, states conduct inspections at six-month intervals rather than annually.

You may view the full report below:

On the Net:

The nursing home list can be found at:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CertificationandComplianc/Downloads/SFFList.pdf

Senate Special Committee on Aging:

http://aging.senate.gov/

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Many senior living community representatives find that the most asked question by seniors and their families in search of a senior living community or nursing home is, “How is the food?”. So what do you think the representative would say? Terrible? I highly doubt that, I’m sure they would ensure that it is wonderful and that you will love it. Do you think that is true?

Here are some tips on trying to find out the truth out about their food. I recommend asking the current residents how they like the food. You can even ask to have a meal to see how you like it. Trying the food is the best way for you to tell if it meets your standards. Remember, they are cooking for a big group of people and not every meal is going to be perfect. I am sure that there will be a few complaints, but overall you should be looking for a flexible menu and fresh ingredients.

Friday, February 1st, 2008

HealthDay News reported Thursday that the three-year-old Medicare Part D drug program is seeing the number of its enrollees climb, even as costs for the program fall.

The overall costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and taxpayers are lower than originally projected. The enrollments continue to rise and customer satisfaction remains very high. Many are still not excited, with many still faulting the program for its complexity, its high co-pays on some drugs and its inability to negotiate lower prices with the drug industry.According to article, the projected cost for Medicare part D is $117 billion lower over the next decade than experts estimated just last summer. At the same time, after the third open enrollment period that ended in December, the plan now has an additional 1.5 million people.Overall, there are about 25.4 million people enrolled in Part D. There are now 39.5 million people, most in Medicare, with some form of drug coverage.Drugcovergae is very important for individuals to think about. It could help lower monthly costs of precriptions dramatically.

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

Top 5 Questions to ask when visiting a nursing home. These are Tips to Help!

1. What types of insurance will cover my loved ones stay? Don’t forget to ask this question! Some skilled nursing homes only accept Medicare! If you or your loved one has and HMO make sure they know!

2. Do you bill secondary insurance? You may find that nursing homes DO NOT BILL secondary insurance carriers. Be sure to ask before you admit a loved one.

3. Are there additional costs for a private room? Typically the answer is YES. Be sure to ask what the rate difference is before requesting a private room; it could be a lot more than you think.

4. Can I see your state survey report? Did you know that the state surveys nursing homes frequently? Ask if they have any deficiencies and if they passed their survey!

5. Are there RN’s here 24 hours per day? Did you know that not all nursing homes are required to have a Registered Nurse’s scheduled round the clock? Be sure to ask this, it could be critical for your loved one.