Nursing Home News & Legal Updates

We’ve all experienced dehydration at some point, maybe after a long day in the sun or due to not drinking enough water. Could something as familiar as dehydration lead to an issue as serious as sepsis? Dehydration and sepsis are more closely related than most realize. Your immune system can become impaired when your body…

Sepsis can be deceptive in its onset. You might wake up feeling slightly off – perhaps with a mild fever or unusual fatigue. It’s easy to dismiss these symptoms as minor, expecting them to pass. As days go by and you continue to feel unwell, the demands of daily life might lead you to ignore…

As our loved ones grow older, health issues that once seemed simple can now cause serious complications. Take a urinary tract infection (UTI), for example. For many younger folks, it’s an annoying but treatable problem. However, in older adults, what starts as a common issue can become far more dangerous. The elderly are often more…

The thigh bone, also known as the femur, is the largest and strongest bone in the body. It supports the body’s weight when standing, stabilizes the body when moving, and connects the hip muscles, tendons, and ligaments to those in the knees. Given its size, importance, and the long time it takes to heal, a…

Statistics show around one in four C. difficile infections (CDI) in the USA happen in a nursing home, making Clostridium difficile endemic in chronic care facilities. This bacteria can lead to painful, uncomfortable, and sometimes even deadly health complications, affecting many nursing home residents across the country. Given these severe risks, nursing homes must implement…

The for-profit ownership percentage of the US nursing home industry exceeds 70%, serving around 1.3 million residents [1]. While this ownership type helps many financially struggling nursing homes avoid closing, there are concerns over the quality of care for-profit nursing facilities offer. This article will define these facilities, examine their legal and regulatory framework, and…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services monitor short-term rehabilitation and long-term care facilities to protect resident rights and prevent abuse and neglect. Well-defined deficiencies help them assess each facility’s situation, create corrective plans, and ensure the facilities improve their standard of care through enforcement actions.  This article will define deficiencies, outline the most common…

Nursing home facilities care for one of the most vulnerable populations. This responsibility is why state and federal agencies must investigate, report, and prevent nursing home abuse and neglect. Violations of nursing home standards are well-defined, and they help these agencies and family members track the quality of care in these facilities. Common Violations Nursing…

It’s tough to think about moving a loved one from assisted living to a nursing home. Many families face this choice and are unsure of the right time to take that step, as it’s rarely triggered by a single event or sudden change but by a gradual realization that more comprehensive care is needed. The…

Many people find it challenging to differentiate between assisted living and nursing homes. While both offer care and support, they’re not interchangeable.  These distinctions can include variations in the type of care provided, the level of daily assistance offered, and other important factors, like whether someone needs minor assistance or round-the-clock medical care. Often, it’s…