Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

Steven Levin of Levin & Perconti will present on nursing home abuse and neglect for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) training teleconference on June 25, 2008 from 2:00pm-3:30pm EDT/1:00pm-2:30pm CDT as part of their national training program for elder law attorneys. Levin will present on personal injury and wrongful death actions for elderly. Elder Law Attorneys owe it to their clients to consider the possibility of pursuing personal injury and wrongful death cases when the elderly are victims of neglect and abuse resulting in injuries and death.

See the registration information here.

A recent study released in the American Journal of Public Health found that investor-owned nursing homes provide worse care and have higher instances of nursing home abuse and neglect compared to other home owners. Investor-owned facilities averaged 5.89 deficiencies per home, 46.5% higher than nonprofit facilities and 43.0% higher than public facilities. Additionally, nurse staffing was lower at investor-owned nursing homes. This study highlights the growing problem with the trend to invest in nursing homes simply to make a profit or to occupy land for future use. More and more nursing homes are run simply with the objective of making a profit and not delivering high quality resident care. Losing focus on resident care only causes greater occurrences of nursing home abuse and neglect.

See the report here.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its action plan for nursing home improvement. CMS is responsible for establishing standards for national nursing home care by developing the standards, inspecting homes, and collaborating with other organizations to help ensure standards are met. The CMS action plan lays out the 2008 goals and milestones for improving nursing home standards including plans on improving treatment and management of bedsores and pressure ulcers, ways to improve feeding by using dedicated feeding aides, and other means of improving nursing home care.

Read the full action plan here.

The Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare website has added a new section that allows viewers to see information on nursing homes and identify homes that have drawn increased federal scrutiny for complaints and other forms of nursing home abuse and neglect. The website includes a listing of Special Focus Facilities which are nursing homes that receive increased federal inspection as a result of past poor performance. Notably, five Illinois nursing homes made the list. Embassy Health Care Center in Wilmington, IL and Harrisburg Care Center of Harrisburg, IL are both on the “not improved” list. Facilities that have shown improvement include Alden Park Strathmoor in Rockford, Berkshire Nursing & Rehab in Forest Park, and International Village in Chicago.

See here for the report and view the website here.

Lisa Nerenberg, who has been involved in the field of elder abuse prevention since 1983, publishes a blog with posts concerning financial exploitation, identity theft, cognitive impairment and undue influence, care giving issues and cultural and gender issues. A recent post, "Geriatricians, Angry and Otherwise," is a provocative commentary which highlights useful and interesting readings. The readings cover a wide range of topics, including, "the social and economic factors that contribute to elder abuse, including ageism in healthcare, inadequate pensions, and poverty," and a surgeon's description of the field of geriatrics. In addition, Nerenberg includes interesting references to global trends in elder abuse.

Click here to read Lisa Nerenberg's blog

"Who Moved My Dentures? Musings on Aging" is a new blog that has proven to be relevant, informative and straightforward. Author Anthony Cirillo, author of a book with the same title, is an elder advocate who works to assure the dignity and respect of seniors. Postings cover many topics including nursing home and long-term care information.

Click here to read the blog

In a recently released report, the Government Accountability Office has recommended changes in laws, programs, and policies that would encourage people to work at older ages. Currently, the varying age-related rules of eligibility for different types of benefits, such as social security, medicare, private pensions, retiree health insurance, and IRAs provide different incentives for people to retire at different ages. At times, these incentives drive people out of the workforce, even where they would be willing and able to continue to work. By making the recommended changes, the GAO hopes that various government and private programs would be able to work in tandem to encourage work at older ages.

click here for the full report
click here for the report highlights

Reminder: Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) Personal Injury Practice Update will be held tomorrow at the UBS Tower in Chicago. An additional seminar will be held on June 29, 2007 at Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois. Michael F. Bonamarte IV of Levin & Perconti will be addressing wrongful death and nursing home negligence. A video encore will be held September 4, 2007 at University Center in Chicago.

For more information.

To register.

Reminder: there is one month left to register for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) Personal Injury Practice Update on June 15, 2007 at the UBS Tower in Chicago. An additional seminar will be held on June 29, 2007 at Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois. Michael F. Bonamarte IV of Levin & Perconti will be addressing wrongful death and nursing home negligence. A video encore will be held September 4, 2007 at University Center in Chicago.

For more information.

To register.

Lawrence A. Frolick recently released a book entitled The Law of Later-Life Health Care and Decision Making. The book provides a comprehensive look at the way the law regulates and reacts to health care and personal decision making for the elderly. Topics include: paying for health care, long-term care housing options, paying for long-term care, legal implications of mental incapacity, powers of attorney, end of life decision making, and more.

To order the book.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold an oversight hearing on Wednesday, May 2 regarding “The Nursing Home Reform Act Turns Twenty: What Has Been Accomplished, and What Challenges Remain?” NCCNHR Executive Director Alice Hedt will testify.

The hearing will be held at 10:30 am on May 2nd at 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

You can hear the webcast live from the Senate Special Committee on Aging website.

Join elder care advocates from across the nation at the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) annual meeting from October 21-24, 2007 at the Hilton Crystal City. The theme is: Quality Care No Matter Where.

The NCCNHR is a nationwide grassroots organization concerned with encouraging citizens and advocates to fight for quality long term care and prevent nursing home abuse.

To learn more about the conference.

According to a recent Healthgrades study, the most commonly occurring patient safety incidents include failure to rescue, decubitus ulcers, and post-operative respiratory failure. These three incidents accounted for almost 72% of all patient safety incidents from 2003 through 2005. The study further explained that some of these incidents were also the most costly. Decubitus ulcers and post-operative respiratory failures accounted for 50.70% of all excess attributable costs from 2003-2005. Decubitus ulcers (bedsores) are common evidence of nursing home neglect, often attributable to staffing shortages or lack of training.

To read the full study.

Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) will be hosting a Personal Injury Practice Update on June 15, 2007 at the UBS Tower in Chicago and on June 29, 2007 at Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois. Michael F. Bonamarte IV of Levin & Perconti will be addressing wrongful death and nursing home negligence. A video encore will be held September 4, 2007 at University Center in Chicago.

For more information.

To register.

A recent AARP survey explores the value of the Family and Medical Leave Act to workers over the age of 50. The survey reports findings of awareness very high with 88% of responses stating that the protections the Act provides are personally important. While 58% of those surveyed reported taking time off for family or medical needs during the previous five years, 15% of the leave-takers did so through the Act. Asked what they might have had to do without the Act, the leave-takers said that they would have quit or lost their jobs, taken less time off, or reduced their work schedules.

For the full article.

A Harvard researcher recently concluded that caring for U.S. veterans returning from the Middle East could cost $662 billion over 40 years. The researcher also said that the Bush administration is not adequately prepared to pay for the medical care and disability benefits of returning veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has said that there are 16 “non-mortally wounded” soldiers per battlefield death, in comparison to the 2.6 wounded per death in Vietnam.

For the full article.

Norovirus appears to be spreading nationwide in nursing homes. Norovirus is the bug that causes a nasty stomach ailment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has asked state health officials to document outbreaks for a report to be issued soon. Typically, Norovirus hits nursing homes, day care centers, hospitals, and other group settings in the winter. It plagues cruise ships year-round. The virus is extremely contagious and is transmitted through close contact with infected people or digesting contaminated food. Its symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and low-grade fever. Unfortunately, there is no treatment. Experts recommend handwashing and good sanitation to prevent the virus from spreading.

For the full article.

The National Center for Health Statistics recently released the facility data tables from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey online. The tables include the following information about nursing homes: characteristics, staffing, management, programs, services, and employee vaccinations. With the constant fears of nursing home abuse and neglect, the tables are especially useful for families researching a home for a loved one.

To view the tables.