Nursing Home
Nursing Home Law Blog
Patients Often Discharged to Nursing Homes with No Information on Quality of Care
Posted in Nursing Home
A significant number of nursing home residents are shorter-term residents who are recuperating from surgery or illness. A recent study centered on the information provided when patients are discharged from hospitals to nursing homes, and they or their families are tasked with choosing a post-acute care facility. As a result… Continue reading
Special Considerations for Latinos Seeking Elder Care
Posted in Nursing Home
As a result of the unstable economy, many adults have been forced to work longer hours or multiple jobs, resulting in less time to care for their elderly parents at home. This is no exception for America’s growing Latino population, who often hold caring for elderly family members in high… Continue reading
CNN Investigates Expanding Use of Nuedexta in Nursing Homes
Posted in Nursing Home
A recent investigation by CNN brought to light the expanding and allegedly inappropriate use of the prescription drug Nuedexta in nursing homes throughout the country. Nuedexta is FDA-approved to treat a rare condition known as pseudobulbar affect (PBA). What is Pseudobulbar Affect? Pseudobulbar affect is characterized by sudden and uncontrollable… Continue reading
Rights of Whistleblowers: MDS Coordinators
Posted in Nursing Home
How does the role of an MDS Coordinator relate to patient care and Medicare or Medicaid fraud? A nursing home MDS Coordinator assesses the capabilities of a patient and creates individual care plans—including the level of treatment that must be delivered. A person in this position may be doing their… Continue reading
New Healthcare Bill Would Impact Medicaid Services
Posted in Nursing Home
The most recent attempt to overhaul the nation’s health care system would fundamentally alter Medicaid and jeopardize home and community-based services, according to www.DisabilityScoop.com. A chart outlining the proposed bill is available here. After a prior Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act failed, this new effort… Continue reading
Peggy’s Law Protects Elderly Nursing Home Residents
Posted in Nursing Home
A new law will soon take effect requiring nursing home employees to notify police within hours of suspected abuse – or to call 911 if the situation is an emergency. “Peggy’s Law” will provide additional protections to nursing home residents by ensuring that law enforcement is promptly notified of possible… Continue reading
Nursing Home Residents Deprived of Right to Sue for Abuse and Neglect
Posted in Nursing Home
The current administration has set its sights on another federal rule, seeking to eliminate the ban on pre-dispute arbitration agreements for nursing home residents. Pre-dispute arbitration agreements require elderly adults and individuals with disabilities, as well as their families, to waive their right to file a lawsuit in the courts… Continue reading
ABA Resists Mandatory Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Home Admissions Contracts
Posted in Nursing Home
Mandatory Arbitration in Nursing Home Admission Contracts A proposed rule change introduced by the Trump administration would authorize mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration in long-term care admissions contracts. The proposed rule is in response to an Obama administration rule that prohibited federal funding for long-term care facilities that required residents to resolve… Continue reading
Will Tort Reform Affect Nursing Home Care?
Posted in Nursing Home
The latest tort reform measure, H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017, would place caps on medical malpractice damages, limit attorney fees, and modify statutes of limitations. Among other changes to current law, non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits would be limited to $250,000 – and juries… Continue reading
Bala Nursing Home in Philadelphia, PA scores 2/100
Posted in Nursing Home
The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently inspected the 139 nursing homes that it insures. HUD gave a Philadelphia nursing home its lowest possible rating. On a scale of 100, Bala Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Wynnefield Heights scored a 2. Federal inspectors found 58 “safety and health” violations at Bala Nursing,… Continue reading
