In 1987, Congress passed OBRA ‘87 (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) which contained the first federal regulations for nursing homes. Not only did the abominable care and abuse of nursing home residents lead to federal regulations, it also led to the…

Investigative reporter Scott Lewis, of WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit, uncovered alarming information about Ashley Court, an assisted living facility in Livonia.  Ashley Court was recently known as Berkley Court, and had a disturbing list of violations. Michigan Department of…

Choosing to admit a loved-one to a nursing home is a difficult enough decision.  Once that decision has been made, the job becomes even more overwhelming.  How do you choose the best nursing home, and where do you start? According…

A report recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed that Medicare paid $5.1 billion in 2009 to skilled nursing facilities providing inexcusably poor-quality of care to the elderly and other…

To ensure accurate and proper “med pass,” the nurse must adhere to the Ten Rights of Medication Administration. The fourth right, the right route requires a sharp nurse to recognize how and where the medication enters the body. The most…

To ensure an accurate and proper “med pass,” the nurse must adhere to the Ten Rights of Medication Administration. The third right, the right dose requires an accurate nurse to calculate the appropriate amount of medication to be given. The…

To ensure an accurate and proper “med pass,” the nurse must adhere to the Ten Rights of Medication Administration. The second right, the right drug requires an alert nurse to perform this responsibility error free. When a physician writes an…

Virtually every person who has ever been in a hospital or nursing home has seen the  “call light” near the patient/resident’s bed. People believe, somewhat in error, that pressing the call light brings immediate assistance.  This is frequently not the…

To ensure an accurate and proper “med pass,” the nurse must adhere to the ten rights of medication administration. The first right, the right patient seems easy enough, yet residents in nursing homes have frequently been given medications meant for…

Medication errors occur far too often in nursing homes. Any medication administered to a resident must be prescribed by the doctor. Nursing home residents frequently have a long list of prescribed medications. Some meds are ordered for long-term, chronic conditions…