Nursing Home
Nursing Home Law Blog
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
Where Can I Find Nursing Home Ratings?
Posted in Nursing Home
If you are a member of the so-called “sandwich generation” – those people who are simultaneously caring for children as well as their elderly parents – you may be familiar with U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings. But did you know that U.S. News & World Report also has… Continue reading
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Neglect?
Posted in Nursing Home
A caregiver may face the overwhelming decision to place a loved one in a nursing home after a sudden event such as a fall or a stroke. Sometimes, there is more time to prepare, as in cases where the loved one suffers from a chronic or debilitating disease, including diseases… Continue reading
Is My Elderly Parent Being Bullied?
Posted in Nursing Home
When a loved one moves into a nursing home, staff members have a duty to continually provide the resident with the appropriate level of nursing care, medical care and personal attention. Nursing home staff members are responsible for the residents’ well-being and are required to report all signs of abuse… Continue reading
