Articles Posted in Nursing Home Neglect

Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home, a 36-bed non-profit corporation run nursing home in Pittsburgh, and South Mountain Restoration Center, a 159 -bed government run facility near Gettysburg in Adams County, were chosen among 39 nursing home facilities across the United States for the magazine’s top ratings.

The facilities earned the highest possible ratings in all four quarters of 2011.

U.S. News’s evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services which sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars in health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care. To earn a place on the Honor Roll a nursing home has to receive perfect five-star ratings in all categories for all four quarters of the previous year.

The 55 residents of Canal Side Care Manor in Walnutport are on a search to find a new care home, now that the new operator, Apex Management, has decided to close the home by the end of this month.

In an article in The Morning Call of Allentown, Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman Anne Bale said that negotiations broke down between Apex and the previous operator, Canal Side Care Manor LLC, “due to an inability to finalize sale terms.”

Canal Side cannot continue to stay open under the previous operator because it is no longer licensed. According to the article, the Department of Public Welfare refused to renew their license and ordered Canal Side to sell or close the homes last year. The state cited numerous violations during home inspections, as well as allegedly discriminating against a resident with HIV.

Falling Spring Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Chambersburg is now among the top nursing homes in Pennsylvania, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Franklin County home received a five-star rating, the highest rate offered by the government group. In rating a nursing home, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services take into consideration staffing levels, inspections by the Department of Health, as well as other Medicare and Medicaid quality measures.

In an article on PublicOpinionOnline.com, the nursing home’s administrator, Dr. Barry Parks, said, “Now the goal is to stay there.”

A jury imposed a $200 million verdict against a nursing home management company accused of not doing enough to prevent a 92-year-old resident’s fatal fall.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, an hour passed before anyone noticed that Elvira Nunziata got away from a group of residents at Pinellas Park Care and Rehabilitation Center in October 2004.

When someone checked the emergency exit stairwell they found Nunziata, still strapped in her wheelchair, at the bottom of about 10 stairs.

According to an article in the Central Penn Business Journal (CentralPennBusiness.com), the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation last week that would put a limit on the amount of punitive damages that could be awarded in civil liability cases against nursing homes.

If House Bill 1907 passes the Pennsylvania Senate, there would be a limit of 200 percent of compensatory damages for cases that include personal care homes, long-term care facilities, and assisted living communities.

However, the bill states that this limit would not apply to cases where there are allegations of intentional misconduct.

According to an article on WFMZ.com, asbestos has been found in parts of the Gracedale nursing home in Northampton County.

Testing was done after concerns came to light regarding previous construction work done at the home. There were fears that asbestos exposure may have happened as a result of the work.

Although testing done a few weeks ago has confirmed asbestos fibers, Northampton County’s director of administration, Tom Harp, said affected areas have been shut down and no asbestos became airborne.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging based in Washington D.C. recently endorsed the Senior Transportation and Mobility Improvement Act introduced by Se. Herb Kohl, Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman, and Se. Ron Wyden.

The legislation introduced in December addresses some of the critically important transportation issues that concern older adults and people with disabilities.

n4a officials stated in a news release that the legislation provides an excellent opportunity for Congress to advance initiatives of the Senior Transportation Task Force, of which n4a is a co-chair.

We may not be able to avoid getting older, but a recent article on Health.com offers some tips for preventing the characteristic rounding of the spine caused by osteoporosis:

For those who spend a lot of time in front of a computer, keep limber by stretching which improves range of motion.

Every morning and night, lie on the floor on your back and make slow “snow angels” for 2-3 minutes. This increases flexibility.

A study published in Psychology and Aging has revealed that by improving their brain skills, older adults become more open and receptive to new experiences.

A recent article on CNN.com reported on the study that included 183 older adults between the ages of 60 and 94. Half of the participants took part in a home-based program that was designed to improve their inductive reasoning skills, while the other half were part of the control group. Those in the training group worked on self-guided materials that included tests for recognizing patterns in numbers and letters, crossword puzzles, and Sudoku puzzles. The material was designed to challenge participants, but not overwhelm them.

Elizabeth Stine-Morrow, of the University of Illinois and the lead researcher of the study, said, “The hallmark of this program is that [the seniors] were learning a concrete skill and they could see this in their test performance.” She also said that it’s a good idea for seniors to put themselves in situations where they learn new things in a way that doesn’t overwhelm them.

On January 5, the state Department of Public Welfare announced it will consolidate the number of organizations providing financial management services to Medicaid enrollees who receive home- and community-based services.

FMS allows Medicaid enrollees to direct benefits to a company which then manages their financial, payroll, tax withholding, and bill pay on their behalf.

Currently 37 organizations, more than any other state, provide FMS to about 22,000 Pennsylvania residents. DPW will now accept applications for no more than three organizations to provide that service throughout the state.