A sudden and suspicious leap in the amount of nursing homes earning high rankings has led the federal government to announce changes to the five-star ranking system, to be implemented early next year, according to HT Health. One significant change to the system will allow a electronic reporting system to…
A 70-year old nursing home resident in Indiana was taken advantage of to the tune of more than $60,000 by a nursing assistant who was supposed to be caring for him, according to investigators and WAVE3 News in Louisville, Kentucky. Authorities have charged the assistant, Margaret Densford, 46, and her…
Allegedly overbilling Medicare led to a big settlement penalty for one Iowa-based company that manages nursing homes. Life Care Services, based in Des Moines, along with California-based ParkVista, denied wrongdoing but agreed to pay a $3.8 million settlement early this month just the same. The companies were accused of providing…
Updated safety and security may be on the way in Illinois in the form of recording devices to monitor patient care in nursing homes. According to the Associated Press, last week Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan expressed her support for a bill to allow residents to place audio or video…
Illinois’ Attorney General has announced that she will push for legislation that permits video- and audio-recording devices in nursing home rooms to monitor patient treatment. AG Lisa Madigan calls it the “next line of defense” for vulnerable residents of nursing homes. Madigan told news media that her office has received multiple complaints in recent months…
Minnesota pharmacy Geritom Medical, which specializes in long-term medical care, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. City police offers provided a uniform presence as the DEA searched Geritom Medical, located on Florida Avenue just north of Old Shakopee Road, according to the Star-Tribune. The pharmacy called the raid a “business interruption”…
Oklahoma nursing homes were ranked among the worst in the nation in a report by Families for Better Care, an advocacy group, according to News 9 in Oklahoma. Oklahoma ranked 48th in the nation in nursing home care last year and 49th this year, after the group reported that a…
Large turnover rates are detrimental for nursing home residents, as more experienced staff can offer more familiar care and expertise on patient health history. Iowa media outlets are asking questions about the efficiency of state-wide nursing homes after it was found that facilities lose 41 percent of their staff, and…
The U.S. Government provides quality of care information on every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country, including over 15,000 nationwide. Medicare’s “Nursing Home Compare” data base has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. Medicare has rated the staffing at the following eight Minnesota nursing…
Medicare’s hotel-style rating system for nursing homes is based on a “incomplete information that can seriously mislead consumers, investors and others about conditions at the homes,” according a New York Times investigation. The government does not verify self-reported data that the reviews are based in large part on, according to…
