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Iowa state lawmakers put officials from the Iowa Veterans Home on the hot seat last week about a decision made by the home to switch doctors to an on-call system for nights, weekends and holidays, resulting in a generous boost for the center’s four doctors, according to the Des Moines Register.
Caring and Sharing Home for Adults is home to up to 46 people in need of assistance from others. Like the nearly 50 other assisted living facilities in Newport News, Va., it is inspected by the state’s licensing division at least once a year. In 2008, the facility was inspected nine times – more than half of those were in response to complaints. The complaints were often anonymous and varied between neglect to children living there to spoiled food. But a new complaint about alleged verbal abuse by one employee resulted in action by the facility, according to the Daily Press.
George King Sr., of Charleston, W.V., lived in Heartland of Charleston nursing home. He had Alzheimer’s Disease, and like many individuals suffering from the memory-loss disorder, King was prone to wander.
Many nursing homes who care for patients with Alzheimer’s have practices in place to ensure patients who wander stay within the nursing home wing where they live. But few practices are foolproof.
Catherine accomplished many goals in her 99 years. She was an elder in the United Methodist Church where she taught and mentored countless young people. She had history of leadership, stemming from 1927, when she was one of the first four women to attend a certificate class at Emory University.
But as Catherine moved into her sunset years at the Lutheran Towers facility in Georgia, she had one regret she just couldn’t shake. She always wanted to graduate from Emory.
National nonprofit organization Second Wind Dreams got word of Catherine’s desire, dressed her in a cap and gown, and presented her with the distinction of being a member of Emory University’s Class of 1028.
No one sets out to live in a nursing home. But when a family member declines to a point that living on his own is simply impossible, alternatives must be weighed. For family members of these aging individuals making long term care decisions can be overwhelming.
Concerned at the 71 percent increase in elder abuse cases in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, over the past five years, city officials decided to pool resources and fight back. Earlier this month Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone and Elders Affairs Secretary Mike Festa announced an initiative to prevent elder abuse, according to the Boston Globe.
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Choosing a skilled nursing facility for a family member can be a daunting task. A web site, MemberoftheFamily.net, aims to help by offering free, easy-to-understand reports based on government surveys of approximately 16,000 nursing homes across the country. The site allows readers to review past and present state survey results, fire safety violations and substantiated complaints for all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes anywhere in the United States.
