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    PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO TAKE THIS INFORMAL POLL
THANK YOU. "SAVING GRACE" UPDATES  U.S. Recommending Strict New Rules at Nursing HomesJuly 22,2000 By ROBERT PEAR CBS NEWSTracking Abuse In Nursing Homes Many Homes Cited For Serious Violations One Woman Accused Caretaker Of Abuse  Federal edict seeks home care for many disabledWhite House orders states to comply with Supreme Court ruling FROM SPOKANE.NET Robert Pear - New York Times   "GRAYING WITH GRACE, A RIBBON RUNS THROUGH IT"THE GRAY RIBBON CAMPAIGN WAS STARTED TO BRING AWARENESS TO ELDERLY ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION OF OUR BELOVED ELDERLY. BEFORE YOU GO FURTHER PLEASE CHECK THIS SITE!THIS SITE TAKES A WHILE TO DOWNLOAD BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT! IT ALSO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF NURSING HOME ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THESE PICTURES TELL THE STORY OF WHAT MANY OF US HAVE SEEN AND ARE SEEING. PLEASE JOIN US IN HELPING BRING AWARENESS TO ELDERLY ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION! http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/9965/ SEE HOW YOUR NURSING HOME RATED IN ITS MOST RECENT SURVEY! NURSING HOME COMPARE (HCFA)Before you put your aging loved one in a nursing home please read the following story on the nursing home advocate ILA SWAN, Many report similiar stories of abuse and neglect. Ila has tried, to make a difference, as have others. No one will tell you it is easy. The oversight system can be inadequate in many states. Nursing home neglect and abuse is difficult to prove and to proscecute.  Remember that these places have the jump on you as they know how to document what happens in their homes. Elderly neglect in nursing homes becomes a political situation. Remember,that states rely on the nursing home industry for revenue and the system includes a vast network of involvement. Many are those, it seems, who have a vested interest in sweeping reality under the rug. This is not an indictment of all nursing homes. There are good elderly care institutions and we commend and are grateful for those that are diligent. Nursing home neglect and abuse is, however, widespread and sensitivity to what constitutes elderly abuse and awareness has far to go. Before you put your elderly loved one in any home, please research it carefully and maintain a close watch on your loved one once they enter. Do not be afraid to do what it takes to advocate for the nursing home resident. We ask that you read the stories told here, first, as this is what CAN and very well WILL happen to your elderly loved one if you are not diligent and knowledgable. A Also remember. that elderly neglect and abuse takes many forms. It can be subversive and subtle. READeverything you can on nursing homes in the news, the library, the Internet RESEARCH nursing home history,INSPECTIONS, the company, laws, etc. CONTACTothers who may help make this very important decision. Thank you, Good Luck and May God Be With You! ILA SWANA Daughter's Courage e-mail "Ila Swan" ape@community.net HER STORY ``If I could walk away, I´d do it in a minute,´´ she says. ``Who´d want to spend days and nights walking through these stinking facilities? But I don´t want to be like the citizens of Germany living outside the concentration camp gates saying they didn´t know about the Holocaust. These dirt bags who make money off the pain of the elderly, I just want to go and kick their asses. I don´t want to close down the nursing homes. I just want decent people running them." http://community-1.webtv.net/MJLbytheC/ELDERABUSE/page18.html Thank you Ila, and others like you, who give us all courage to continue to advocate for the ones we love.  THE POLITICS OF MONEYEXCELLENT ESSAY Read this with an eye to examining the corporate structure of the nursing home industry and its lack of accountability for its social responsiblity to the population it serves. The Responsibility of Busines to the Wholeby David C. Korten NURSING HOME COMPLIANCEWorld Medical Association Declaration on the Abuse of the Elderly Adopted by the 41st World Medical Assembly Hong Kong, September 1989 LONG TERM CARE.COMAnalyzing your Part B program forcompliance, double billing, inappropriate private-pay charging! 'In the area of Nursing Home compliance... Part B billing and it's relationship to Part-A, private and Medicaid billing is by far - the most concerning!' COMPLIANCEHCFA UPDATESMEDICARE NEWSWIREGOVERNMENT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE\What Can We Do "Demand accountability in government. Demand real whistleblower protection. Encourage news media stings. Remind politicians who they work for. Support politicians who will fight to eliminate FW&A." THE ONLY REQUIREMENT FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD MEN AND WOMEN TO DO NOTHING EXAMPLES OF MEDICARE ABUSE HEALTHCARE INTELLIGENCE NETWORKPlease See the article Healthcare Industry/Managed Care: Justice’s Big-Dollar Claim Against Vencor is Bad News for Other Creditors May 11, 2000 This article states: "Among the specific alleged misdeeds are that Vencor" billed Medicare individually for services provided in bunches.For example, if Vencor or a subsidiary provided portable X-ray services to five patients at a single location at one time, the company would charge five separate portage fees. In some cases, two portage fees would be charged for two X-rays of the same patient. overbilled for dialysis services byroutinely drawing blood twice for a battery of tests that only required a single draw. folded costs incurred by its contract services business into its long-term care hospitals, increasing the cost-to-charge ratios that determine Medicare disbursements. "harvested" for resale drugs not used away from the facility by long-term Medicare patients for a day or more, while still billing the patients. kept patients in more-expensive hospitalslonger than necessary, for example by forbidding discharges on Fridays to keep them over the weekend. billed for a high level of care when that care was not provided, including charges for cardiac monitors without paper. gave sales staff titles such as "case managers" in order to bill Medicare for sales calls to prospective patients. required facility administrators to make “increased Medicare utilization” a “tactical objective,” through means such as offering paid holidays and bonuses to medical workers. The staff allegedly was trained to write medical orders to show necessity for maximizing services. Respiratory therapists were told to “comb the patient chart” to find a reason to provide therapy; if they couldn’t, the charts were changed. falsified collection letters in order to bill Medicare for bad debts. held psychiatric patients unnecessarilyfor the lifetime 180-day maximum, guaranteeing the highest disbursement but essentially preventing the person from ever receiving inpatient treatment again. INCIDENCE REPORTINGA HELPFUL FORM TO US WHEN REPORTING INCIDENTS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN NURSING HOMES USED BY NURSING HOMES INCIDENCE REPORTINGNEGLECT, ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATIONAcross the USA, the federal report concluded that in nursing homes: 24% improperly administered drugs according to the written orders from the attending physicians (60% in New Jersey); 26% did not provide adequate personal hygiene (67% in the state of Washington); 21% did not follow proper isolation techniques to prevent the spread of infection; 20% did not provide each resident with a urinary catheter with proper routine care; 36% did not follow rules requiring that food be stored, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions (62% in Alabama); 18% failed to provide patients' bathroomneeds according to federal standards (33% in Michigan); 12% didn't properly treat bedsores; and 15% didn't provide patients with privacy during treatment and personal care. SYMTOMS OF ABUSEELDER ABUSE LAWSABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OLDER ADULTS IN INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS(See Abuse of Older Adults) INSTITUTIONAL ABUSEExcellent!Vulnerable in a Safe Place: Institutional Elder Abuse D. Wierucka & D. Goodridge Abstract BROKEN PROMISESFrom Law Offices of Philip De Berard KELN Excellent Resource!ABUSE IN AN INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGOne Quarter Of Elderly With Cancer Given No Pain Medication"Daily pain among elderly nursing home residents with cancer is widespread and often untreated, especially among older and minority patients, according to a new five-state study." ON HEALTH(Enter in Search Correctable Blindness in Nursing Homes) LONG TERM CARE REFORMNATIONAL CITIZENS COALITION FOR NURSING HOME REFORMFROM NCCNHRELDER WEBLong Term Care Reform NursingHomeReports.com"THE TRUTH ABOUT NURSING HOMES" WELCOME TO NURSING HOME & LONG-TERM CARE TOPICS By Herschel Caywood, Jr. MHA LONG TERM HEALTH CARE CONCERNS This site was created to inform those concerned about long-term healthcare policy at the state and national level. Included you will find information regarding one state bill that has been passed, but not enacted, and one federal bill that needs your support to pass. Also, there are links to related sites on the Web that might be of interest. KNOW THE LAWSSearch the United States Code U.S.HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Office of the Law Revision Counsel http://law2.house.gov/usc.htm#search FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS REGULATING NURSING HOMESCHOOSING A NURSING HOMEThe following is a list of sites that might be helpful in researching and determining what constitutes a quality nursing home to move your elderly loved one. Before you proceed please read the following information to increase your awareness of what advocates are saying and what national concerns are and what their positions are on these issues. Remember, that once you put your loved one in a nursing home, you, as a family member, can lose all control or input into what happens in your loved one'slife. If you see abuse, neglect, or exploitation many are finding that it remains very difficult to get your issues and concerns addressed and rectified. Remember, it is very difficult to prove neglect, abuse and exploitation and family must be diligent, aware and knowledgable. Many of these nursing homes have simply gotten by for a very long time with promises to the resident, the families, the community and the oversight system that they will improve....someday! (These are my observations, and not necessarily those of "Saving Grace". I have developed this attitude due to my own experience with my parent and in speaking with national advocates and other families. It may not be your experience but it has been the experience of an ever-growing number of residents and families and the time has come for their experience to not be discounted any longer.) Hopefully, you will have a positive placement for your elderly loved one and your family. We pray that you do.... nursing homes can be a good experience. If you have a positive experience to share, please let us know so we can let others know what families and residents consider positive. Our purpose is help you gain as much information as possible on the issue of nursing home placement for your elderly loved one. Thank you. Linda CHOOSING A NURSING HOMEAdministrative stability, care history, profit status are key By Bonnie Harris and Joe Fahy Indianapolis Star/News (June 22, 1998) ACHA A Family Guide: Making The Transition To Nursing Facility Life State Published Internet Guides Helpful When Choosing A Nursing HomeQuestions to Ask before admitting a loved one.SENIOR CARE RESOURCESNursing Home Reporter LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAMNURSING HOME ACCREDITATION COMMISSIONCCAC ONLINE The Continuig Care Accrediation Commission Standards of Excellence PDF Format LONG TERM CARE SURVEYhealthfinderQUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE ADMITTING A LOVED ONE.GOVERNMENT SITESADMINISTRATION ON AGINGInformation on the Older Americans Act Programs. Ombudsman Annual Reports and Lists of State Offices HCFA HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRATIONHCFAThe Quality Advocate. NAIC NATIONAL AGING INFORMATION CENTERNATIONAL ARCHIVE OF COMPUTERIZED DATA ON AGINGAHCPR Agency for Health Care Policy and Research NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONState Long Term Care Profiles ReportNational Organizations Available for SeniorsTelephone Numbers AHCPR Department of Health and Human Services MEPS Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Department of Health and Human Services Nursing Homes Safety and Health Training MaterialsOSHA Framework for a ComprehensiveHealth and Safety Program in Nursing Homes CONSUMER INFORMATIONMR LONG-TERM CARE"Martin Bayne, co-founder of The National Long-Term Care Policy Institute, a not-for-profit advocacy group, is creator and publisher of the Mr. Long-Term Care(tm) web site, the most popular and well-respected long term care information source on the Internet" LONG TERM CARE SURVEYAMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF HOME AND SERVICES FOR THE AGINGEXTENDED CARE.COMLEADERSHIP COUNCIL OF AGING ORGANIZATION LCAO Coalition of nat'l non-profit organizations concerned with well-being of aging ALZHEIMER'SAlzheimers.com lNURSING HOME ISSUESTHE IMPORTANCE OF STAFF TRAINING IN AN ALZHEIMER'S UNITETHICSETHICS IN AGINGSite includes a discussion of ethical issues related to the aging process and suggestions for developing an ethics community BIOETHICSEthics Bibliography Revised 15 September 1999 AGING AND ETHICAL ISSUES http://www.uvm.edu/~scutler/ethics.html#hctt McKnight Long Term Care News Interesting source for latest up dates on the inside of the nursing home industry Information on the industry that includes such articles as "Self-Preservation of Workers Replacing Committment" These articles can be ordered for a fee Oct '97 ANNALS OF LONG TERM CARECARE 4 ELDERSRELATED ISSUESWorld Health Organization Collaborating Center for Policy and Communications in Cancer Care "The purpose of this website is to facilitate public access to information about pain relief and public policy, including material published by the PPSG, its WHO Collaborating Center, and other authoritative sources. For example, you can access information about assisted suicide (includes links to the 1997 Supreme Court decisions), state chronic pain treatment laws, state medical board policy, Model Guidelines for Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain, and international policy, with consumption trends of opioids, including morphine." SPECIAL LINKSWebsite Eden Online--The Official Eden Alternative Website |
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"At the door of life, by the gate of breath, There are worse things waiting for men than death." THE TRIUMPH OF TIME (1866), st 20 Algernon Charles Swinburne LadyChristian Courtesy Letter Writing NEWS UPDATESNURSING HOME INDUSTRY"BIG BUSINESS' NEWS UPDATEFROM ILA SWAN, NURSING HOME ADVOCATEThe Ten Worst Corporations of 1999 By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman Guardian Postacute: Maggots everywhere "After learning that of Guardian Postacute Services Inc., a San Francisco Bay area nursing home chain, had permitted dirty feeding tubes to be installed into patients who then became infested with maggots, had permitted patients to lie for extended periods in their urine and feces, and had failed to take strong action against an employee who sexually abused patients, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Randy Hey has filed criminal charges against Guardian." ADVOCACY ALERTREAD THISReform of Nursing Home Care in the Commonwealth of VirginiaA Call to Arms for NH Improved Care and Greater Accountability by Larry W. Bryant WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMANACTION ALERT!from THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH ASSOICATION Promotion of the Health and Rural Areas Act of 1999 and and the House Triple A-Rural Health Improvement Act of 1999 Congress looked at this the week of October 4, 1999 (We urge you to check out this site and respond to your Congressman) Click on Action Alert! ADVOCACY TIPREMEMBER NURSING HOMES CONTRIBUTE HEAVILY TO POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS! Read the information at the following sites and decide whether or not you would like to support Campaign Contribution Reform. CauseNET:The Common Cause Email Alert Network Thank you for subscribing to CauseNet: The Common Cause Email Alert Network. As a member of CauseNet, you will receive the latest information about Common Cause activities in Washington and around the country. These will include: *Up-to-the-minute legislative alerts on campaign finance reform and other CC issues; *Requests for you to "Take Action," by contacting your elected officials via mail, phone, email or fax; *The latest CC campaign finance studies; reports from the Corporate Welfare project; and new features on the Common Cause web site; To contact Common Cause: Common Cause 1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1200 grassroots@commoncause.org http://www.commoncause.org "Staffing rules advocated for nursing homes"http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/sep99/nurse19091899.asp by Dave Umhoeffer Milwaukee Journal ILLINOIS ADVOCACY WEB SITE...INTERESTING "This web site was started, based on the belief that the for profit (not for profits aren't as greedy) nursing home industry's main motivation in the US is to gouge senior citizens and the family members that help support seniors." QUALITYPRESIDENT"S ADVISORY COMMISSION Consumer's Protection and Quality in the Health Care IndustryConsumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities President's Advisory Commissionon Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry Final Report NURSINGHOME WATCH.COMAmerican Society on Aging 833 Market St., Suite 511 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.asaging.org info@asa.asaging.org GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE IN NURSING HOMES QUICK CHECKS FOR QUALITY Addresses findings of the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in health care "HOW WE CAN MEASURE QUALITY IN LONG TERM CARE""Everybody talks about it, but nobody knows what it is" By Stuart Bratesman, Duke University DUKE UNIVERSITY-CENTER FOR AGING UCSF ELECTONIC DAILYDAYBREAK newsbreak 1st appeared 18 June 1999 Advocating Humane Treatment in Nursing Homes THE CENTER FOR PATIENT ADVOCACYTHE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OFPHYSICIANS WHO CARE WARNING"This is written as a public service to residents of nursing homes and long term care facilities. It is a warning about the administration of psychotropic medication and the filing of Power of Attorney." K MY PERSONAL HIT LISTOf Potentially Dangerous Drugs for the Elderly http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~drstall/hitlist.html Compiled by Robert S. Stall, M.D.--Internist/Geriatrician DUKE UNIVERSITY FOR THE STUDY OF AGING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENTDuke Long Term Care Resources Program THE MERCK MANUAL OF GERIATRICSCare in Nursing Homes And Other Long Term Care Facilities PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT.COMMedEthExExercises in Medical Ethics and Communication Skills Includes Information on Euthansia and Cultural Aspects in Death and Dying University of MinnesotaWeb-Based Instruction on Informed Consent. This site provides information on the informed consent process and also a tool to help you create a consent document NURSING HOME ABUSE COMPLAINTSJune Gibbs Brown Inspector General Abuse Complaints of Nursing Home Patients Nancy-Ann Min DeParle Administrator Health Care Financing Administration NURSING HOMES CAN BE LIABLE FOR FALLS There may be a statute of limitations! ABOUT.COMSee Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Elder AbuseLonnie L. Fay NURSING HOME RESIDENT RIGHTSSponsored by the Law Offices of Powless and George, P.C. CAREPLANS^Become familiar with the care plan of your elderly loved one and be familiar with what they are. Careplans.com |
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| ELDER WEB NURSING HOME REPORTS BULLETINS REGARDING NURSING HOMESFrom Seniors-Site BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT IN LONG TERM CAREClinical ReviewNondrug Management of Aggression in Nursing Facilities Jeannette Y. Wick Objective: To review nondrug management of aggressive behavior in nursing facility residents. "Patient Safety" Legislative Initiatives introduced by State Nurses Assoc. LONG TERM CARE FOR OLDER ADULTSNational Nursing Research Agenda Developing Knowledge for Practice: Challenges and Opportunities NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH THE COUNCIL CLOSE-UPIllinois Council on Long Term Care Search Site For Example type "Alzheimer Activities" Sociology of Aging- Age Inequality, Ageism, Gerontology - NASW Clinical Indicators for Social Work an Psychosocial Services in Nursing Homes Approved by the NASW Board of Directors, April 1993 IN THE NEWSTHE NEWS@SENTINEL GRAY AREASA GUIDE TO NURSING HOME CARE (Includes several stories on nursing home care) Staff, money woes hinder elder care Facilities struggle to balance checklists with compassion. By Jennifer L. Boen of The News@Sentinel JOURNALSCONTEMPORARY LONG-TERM CARESee article indexSEE JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS GERONTOLOGYFor Example: 1998 Volume 10 Number 4 1998 Nourishing the Spirit in Long Term Care: Perspectives of Residents and Nursing Assistants on Sources of Meaning in Residents' Lives by Susan H. McFadden and Maryellen Hanusa page 9-26 Abstract A model of spirituality guided construction of interview questions that obtained information from nursing home residents and nursing assistants about opportunities to seek meaningful connections within the self, with other persons and the world, and with God. Interpretive analysis of the transcripts revealed that although nursing assistants regard their caregiving activities as significant sources of meaning, residents do not share this perception. Sources of meaning noted by both groups included personal memories, interactions with family and friends, opportunities to help others, treasured personal objects, and religious beliefs and behaviors. Implications for nursing assistant training are discussed, particularly regarding ways to encourage nursing assistants to attribute meaning to their work by recognizing the ways residents experience spirituality. PUBLICATIONSMULTI-LINGUAL PUBLICATIONSINFORMATION ABOUT ACCOMODATION SERVICES FOR THE ETHNIC AGED Looking for nursing home accomodation? How the NSW Transcultural Aged Service Can Help. NEWS RESOURCESHSR REPORTDOW JONES.comType in nursing homes and elderly abuse for current information OJR'S GUIDE TO JOURNALISTIC RESOURCESEvaluating Health Information on the InternetFROM THE MICHIGAN ELECTRONIC LIBRARY MEDICAL FACTS ON AGING FOR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PHYSICIANS True or False Quiz Aging Successfully |
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| INFORMED CITIZENS AND EFFECTIVE LONG TERM CARE REFORM: A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP May, 1999Caregiving RESTRAINTS"Restraints Have Risks, Make the Right Choice"CALIFORNIA YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM RESTRAINTSCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THE DRUGGING OF THE ELDERLY"Whose job is it to protect the elderly in care homes across the state? Government or the family? ADVOCACY TIPFALLSNURSING HOMES MAY BE LIABLE FOR FALLS"Before the Fallby Randy Stearns August 19,1999 New research shows that many nursing home accidents could be prevented Includes video of safety enhancements on a wheelchair http://more.abcnews.gov.com/section/newsuse/wn.0819_falls/index.html TUBE FEEDINGSALZHEIMER.COMTube Feedings Do Not Benefit Dementia Patients Geriatric Nursing OnlineMarch/April 1999 • Volume 20 • Number 2 Dysphagia Among Nursing Home Residents Jeanie Kayser-Jones, RN, PhD, FAAN Kathryn Pengilly, MA Urinary incontinence in nursing home residents: a cross-national comparisonA Sgadari, E Topinkova, J Bjornson and R Bernabei Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. A.SGADARI@caspur.i Age and Ageing, Vol 26, 49-54, Copyright © 1997 by British Geriatrics Society CONCLUSION: "this study of different cultural approaches and strategies to evaluate and treat urinary incontinence may stimulate a public debate on the quality of care in nursing homes and promote the sharing of care practices designed to reduce urinary incontinence." APAPractice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias of Late Life THE TRUTH ABOUT NURSING HOMESFROM NCCNHRWORLD'S SMALLEST CAMERATHE TRUTH ABOUT NURSING HOMES |
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