Nursing Home News & Legal Updates

Under federal and state law, nursing homes are held to specific standards of care and undergo regular and random inspections to meet the minimum requirements. You can access these reports to help you make an informed decision about a care facility or pursue legal action if you believe they violate the law. Here’s everything you…

The most common causes of hip fractures in nursing homes are falls. Falls are typically caused by accident hazards in the nursing home area and the lack of adequate supervision. Slippery floors, poorly lit areas, and failure to provide necessary mobility aids like walkers or handrails are common accident hazards. Many nursing homes are understaffed,…

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that happens when the body has an extreme reaction to an infection. Usually, your body fights off infections to keep you healthy, but with sepsis, your immune response goes into overdrive and attacks your organs and tissues. This extreme response can cause widespread inflammation, leading to organ failure and, in…

Nursing home abuse is a problem that plagues many assisted living facilities nationwide. Seniors in nursing homes are at a higher risk of being abused due to their physical and mental vulnerability. Often, they are unaware of what’s happening to them, or they are too afraid to do something about it, especially if the abuse…

Like most medical professionals, aspiring nursing home employees must undergo background checks and screenings. Some elements in a person’s history can disqualify them from working in nursing homes.  Required background checks ensure only trustworthy people can work in nursing homes. We trust our most vulnerable population with staff, and it’s not a profession most take…

What Are Nursing Homes Not Allowed to Do? For a quick overview, here are the things nursing homes are not allowed to do: Families are often asking whether a nursing facility’s conduct has crossed the line into a nursing home violation. Not every facility commits abuse, but these rules exist because safety risks in long-term…

A nursing home is supposed to be a place of care, but that’s not always the case. Unfortunately, many patients can face injuries or even die at nursing homes. These circumstances were often preventable, leaving loved ones angry and confused.   In this article, we’ll discuss the leading causes of death in nursing homes, what to…

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…

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…