Are nursing homes in California abiding by federal regulations for reporting allegations of elder abuse or neglect? According to a recent report released by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), not all facilities are reporting incidents of nursing home abuse. Reporting…
History of the Star Rating System A recent New York Times article discussed the danger of trusting the Medicare star rating system, providing as an example a five-star nursing home facility in California with a history of elder neglect violations. Last week, we discussed the star rating system and the Rosewood nursing…
Five-Star Nursing Homes May Not the Best Indicator of Care Are Medicare star ratings good predictors for the quality of care at nursing homes? According to a recent article in the New York Times, a facility with a five-star rating may not be what one would expect. In fact, many five-star…
Do you have an elderly parent or loved one in a Southern California nursing home? A recent study of nursing facilities within our state found that in 20 out of 22 facilities tested, the drug-resistant and often deadly skin infection “MRSA was present. San Diego’s local ABC 10 News referred…
The recent sentencing of a former nursing home administrator from a Lake Isabella facility is sure to send shockwaves throughout the nursing home community. Channel 17 KGET news recently reported that Pamela Ott, a former nursing home administrator, was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service…
The U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) compiles reports on nearly 15,000 nursing homes scattered throughout the U.S. The inspection reports cover nearly 118,000 deficiencies at those homes. Although the CMS publishes these reports online, it is an enormous amount of information to try and analyze for consumers…
Cutting costs was the state’s goal in eliminating the Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) system last year. That goal does not appear to have been met, according to a recent article in California Healthline. Instead the program that stemmed from a lawsuit challenging California’s proposal to eliminate the ADHC program,…
Self-neglect often can be a sign of San Diego elder abuse or neglect. Self-neglect typically occurs when adults cannot or do not take care of themselves properly, according to a recent article in the San Diego Union-Tribune, but it also may indicate a caretaker’s negligence. Generally unsanitary conditions of residents…
Last week, the federal government issued a new report that scrutinizes California nursing home inspections. The report finds those inspections lacking because inspectors fall far short in following up on their own investigative findings into problems at nursing facilities across the state. The California Department of Public Health is responsible…
A state investigation conducted by health officials has uncovered a widespread problem in California nursing homes, reports a recent article in The New York Times. Officials found that pharmacists responsible for reviewing the medication of California nursing home patients routinely allowed inappropriate and potentially deadly prescriptions of antipsychotic medications. The…