Claiming that it was corporate policy, an assisted living facility refused to provide medical care that might have saved a woman’s life. This is an example of corporate disinterest in the safety and welfare of the elderly.
Though we’ve always known that poor staffing leads to falls and pressure ulcers, new research shows that Norovirus is also causally linked to poorly staffed nursing homes. The Journal for the American Medical Association recently published these findings and they are summarized in an article by Dr. Jeffry Levine.
One of the most common mental conditions we see with nursing home residents is Alzheimer’s disease. It can be very difficult for a family to watch a family member slowly slipping away mentally. This condition can also increase someone’s risk for falls and other injuries.
Families for Better Care – a citizen’s advocacy organization – showed in a recent study that the largest publicly traded nursing home chains remained very profitable despite Medicare payment cuts last year. The director of Families for Better Care, Brian Lee, believes that the profits are driven by lower nursing hours and less care based on a study conducted last fall.
A new study conducted by Center For Medicare Advocacy (CMA) concludes that while “some for-profit nursing facilities give excellent care and some not-for-profit nursing facilities give poor care – the general rule is documented in study after study: not-for-profit nursing facilities generally provide better care to their residents.”
I just happened upon an excellent website (http://www.neverevents.org/), promoting the value of 11 years of “Never Events” as establishing safer practices in our hospitals. This site is authored by a physician and notes that another physician, Ken Kizer, MD, former CEO of the non-profit, National Quality Forum (NQF), first introduced this term in 2001.
Recently, I had the opportunity to review a long term care insurance policy. The document was confusing and full of exceptions. It was difficult for me to believe that the people who bought the policy could understand what it said.
A new study confirms that a large percentage of nursing home residents are prescribed anti-depressants, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). While in most cases, anti-depressants are beneficial to the well being of the residents, in patients suffering from dementia, they can significantly increase the risk of falls – leading to serious injuries, and even death.
While nursing homes should always look to prevent bed sores – a painful and sometimes deadly condition – a recent study conducted revealed that the prevention of bed sores is also cost effective. Foam mattresses which reduce pressure were found to be cost-effective 82% of the time as opposed to using standard mattresses. This simple change could save on average $115 per resident. Additionally, foam cleansers for incontinence were found to be cost-effective 94% of the time, as opposed to traditional soap and water, which results in an average savings of $179 per resident.
A recent article in the Star Ledger, Stronger safeguards needed in N.J. hospitals, nursing homes, asks the questions, “Should corporate lobbyists decide whether safe equipment and procedures are needed if you or a loved one have to go to a hospital or nursing home? Or should health care professionals make those decisions?”
