Nursing Homes and Elder Rights
Protecting Nursing Homes From Profiteering REITs
It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has called the widespread failures of America’s nursing homes into question, including how they are financed and operated. Healthcare REITs are a business model increasingly seen in many major nursing home chains today. However, what does the federal government know about these…
Read MoreUnderstanding When Nursing Home COVID-19 Deaths Count
Certifying a cause of death for nursing home residents is not always straightforward. The onset of the pandemic, which resulted in more than 150,000 resident deaths nationwide, created chaos and made this process even more complicated. What or who determines whether a COVID-19 nursing home death gets added to the…
Read MoreBroken Nursing Home System Needs Full Overhaul Says Major Report
According to the findings in a major report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, America’s nursing home system needs a complete overhaul. It is no secret that U.S. nursing homes have a long history of substandard care and staffing shortages. The finances at long-term care facilities are…
Read MoreInvestigating the Facts Behind Nursing Home Failures of the Pandemic
The onset of COVID-19 outbreaks that began in October 2020 led to a pandemic and over 150,000 nursing home resident deaths. However, it was the initial surge of the virus, resulting in an unprecedented number of deaths in a single wave, that inspired USA Today to take a closer look….
Read MoreNearly All High-Touch Surfaces in LTC Test for Fecal Contamination
A study released on Thursday revealed that over 90 percent of high-touch areas in long-term care facilities are contaminated. These areas, including handrails, equipment controls and other common surfaces, showed evidence of fecal matter and other infectious disease sources. PKSD shares more about these disturbing findings and how researchers conducted…
Read MoreCMS Issues Clarification of its Most Recent Visitation Guidelines
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided multiple updates and instructions to nursing homes throughout the pandemic. These updates have included requirements to help improve infection control, along with ongoing changes to visitation guidelines. PKSD shares highlights from the latest CMS update. This newest information clarifies key…
Read MoreHow Nursing Homes Hide Profits While Residents Suffer
While COVID-19 and the resulting pandemic magnified all the deficiencies in the nursing home industry, most of the problems are not new. Nursing homes continually claim they need more funds to help support their facilities. Yet there is significant evidence of an industry that hides profits while residents suffer. Are…
Read MoreCMS Answers Visitation FAQs Amid Spread of Omicron Variant
Since the onset of the pandemic, PKSD has been diligent to share nursing home visitation guidelines and updates provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Along the way, CMS has received a lot of questions about their recommendations. To help provide clarity regarding the most recent nursing…
Read MoreCMS Fall 2021 Nursing Home Visitation Updates
Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), nursing homes have been greatly impacted. Long-term care facilities have suffered repeated outbreaks and significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates. To help mitigate the risks of infection to nursing home residents and essential staff, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has…
Read MoreLiability if a Nursing Home Resident Suffers a Head Injury
Residents in nursing homes may often suffer injuries in the very place that is supposed to protect them. Whether broken bones, cuts or bruises, these falls can be quite risky for an elderly person. Head injuries are one of the most common – and serious – types of injuries residents…
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