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An audit sheds light on an alarming statistic. Over 25 percent of possible sexual and physical abuse cases involving nursing home residents were never reported to law enforcement.  Conducted by the Health and Human Services inspector general’s office, the audit also reveals that Medicare has failed to enforce a federal law that calls for prompt notification by...

A recent report found that breast cancer treatment may hasten death for nursing home residents. Those who live at least a year after treatment often experience a significant downturn in their quality of life.  The report, published in the journal JAMA Surgery in August, raises questions about the value of screening women in nursing homes for breast cancer. Surgery is a common way to treat...

Residents in nursing homes require a high level of care. Unfortunately, many of them don’t get the attention they need due to understaffing, according to new federal data. A PBS report puts a spotlight on this problem. Staffing fluctuates daily and there are significant shortfalls on the weekends in most nursing homes. On some days,...

Three nursing home employees were arrested after a Snapchat video showed them "vaping" over a dying resident. According to a Newsweek article, the assisted living employees appeared in a video where they used profanities and were seen smoking from a vape pen. In the background was a 76-year-old woman who was dying after suffering a...

A scabies outbreak in a nursing home has prompted action by Georgia lawmakers who are looking for ways to curtail future infestations. The death of Rebecca Zeni, 93, due to a scabies infection made national headlines and raised questions about how to prevent such tragedies from happening again. The Georgia Department of Public Health released...

You trust the nursing home to care for your loved one, but sometimes the facility falls far short of its duty – so far short that employees can be indicted on criminal charges. That’s what happened earlier this year in a case involving a vulnerable World War II veteran who died in the Northeast Atlanta...

If you suspect nursing home abuse or neglect, it’s critical to take action as soon as possible. The state of Georgia created a state complaint hotline that allows anyone to call and report a problem. But astonishingly, the hotline does not always work, according to a recent news report by Fox 5 Atlanta. Lisa Overholt,...

It’s one of the most important decisions a family has to make – choosing a nursing home for a loved one who needs constant care. Nursing homes provide a solution for elderly persons and even young people who have disabilities to the extent that they cannot care for themselves. But too often, patients are mistreated...

Most people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia, and the facilities are dosing them with unnecessary medication, placing their lives at risk. That’s according to a report by Human Rights Watch titled “They Want Docile:" How Nursing Homes in the United States Overmedicate People with...

Finding the right nursing home or long-term care facility for a loved one can be difficult and stressful. You want a safe and clean facility. You want the nursing home staff to be respectful and friendly. You want to be able to quickly access information about facilities that might have a history of nursing home...