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Risk Management

Demystify risk management in nursing homes

By Paola DiNatale MSN, RN, NHA, RAC-CT, and Brad Granger, MBA, NHA March 02, 2010

What if every staff member was asked to define risk management? It's likely that no two responses would match. It's even possible that some responses would be incorrect.

FDA warns: Emergency alert pendants carry potential for choking, death risks

September 24, 2009

A popular emergency alert pendant could pose a deathly choking hazard, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned consumers Tuesday.

Senate Aging Committee to focus on emergency preparedness

June 19, 2009

Best practices for assisting seniors and the disabled before, during and after natural or manmade disasters will be the topic of a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing Wednesday morning. Local, state and federal officials, including LuMarie Polivka-West, MSP, senior vice president of policy for the Florida Health Care Association, will testify at the hearing. Florida long-term care officials have been among the leaders in designing policies and practices for dealing with hurricanes and other disaster scenarios. Topics will include terrorism preparedness and responses.

Obama to AMA: Liability reform is on the table

June 16, 2009

At his biggest, and longest, healthcare policy address to date, President Obama on Monday stated that he'd been privately discussing the idea of liability reform with the American Medical Association for weeks.

Doctors warn: Non-payment for patient falls could lead to increased use of restraints

June 05, 2009

New regulations that stop payments to hospitals for treatment after potentially preventable patient falls could backfire, leading instead to increased use of restraints, a Harvard Medical School physician and colleagues are warning.

Therapy dogs can transfer MRSA and C. difficile among nursing home residents, researchers say

May 08, 2009

A recent Canadian study finds that methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and C. difficile can be transferred between long-term care residents and therapy dogs, opening a new possible avenue for infection.

Officer ordered accused nursing home shooter to drop gun three times before downing him

April 13, 2009

The police officer being called a hero for halting a North Carolina shooting rampage that left seven residents and one nursing aide dead said he was just doing his job when he entered the building alone.

Fire at unregistered Japanese nursing home kills 10, investigation gears up

March 23, 2009

Local authorities were set to start a formal investigation of an unregistered nursing home in Japan that was the site of a fatal fire late last week. The Thursday night fire wound up killing 10 residents after three more perished Saturday.

Nursing home operator faces setback in lawsuit that brought $30 million judgment against it

March 01, 2009

An appeals court has ordered the retrial of a lawsuit in which a major nursing home chain had most of a $29.8 million punitive damages award against it thrown out. The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled last week that a Warren County Circuit Court judge had made a mistake two years ago when he reduced the damages amount to $163,000.

Docs ignoring majority of medication safety alerts, study shows

February 17, 2009

Physicians are overriding a vast majority of safety alerts about potentially bad drug interactions, a new three-state study finds. Doctors, probably more annoyed than enlightened, instead are relying on their own judgment rather than that of commercial services, researchers said in last week's edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Study: Proactive measures can halve the risk of hip fractures in seniors

November 05, 2008

Taking proactive steps, including using certain tests and medications, can help reduce hip fracture rates among those at risk by as much as 50%, according to a new online study.

Attorney General says more cameras will be hidden in nursing homes

October 23, 2008

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is expanding his practice of installing hidden cameras in nursing homes to include facilities in western New York, according to local news outlets.

Another hospital bed entrapment concern: 'power down' versus 'gravity down'

William A. Hyman October 10, 2008

There is more to bed-entrapment dangers than just side-rail risks. In a follow-up to his popular column on side-rail concerns, academic researcher William A. Hyman warns providers about the potential hazards of head- and foot-board entrapment.

Officials give nursing homes new help to avert fraud and abuse

October 01, 2008

Health officials on Tuesday issued new voluntary guidelines for nursing homes to help them avert fraud and abuse in Medicaid, Medicare and other federal healthcare programs. The 17-page long document was published in the Federal Register and complements guidance issued in 2000.

Study: More affluent ZIP codes consistently see higher rates of surgery survival among the elderly

October 01, 2008

Seniors in more impoverished areas of the country are significantly more likely to die after surgery than their wealthier neighbors, according to recent research.

OIG: Nearly all nursing homes violated federal standards in 2007

September 30, 2008

More than nine out of 10 nursing homes in the United States last year were cited for violating federal health and safety standards, according to a report released Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.

Senate introduces Silver Alert Act; president signs ADA

September 29, 2008

U.S. Sens. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) introduced a Senate version of the National Silver Alert Act, which recently passed through the House.

Study: Sleep helps older women prevent falls

September 29, 2008

Women aged 70 or older who receive less than five hours of sleep per night are at a greater risk of falls, according to a recent study.

Elderly dementia residents on antipsychotic drugs have soaring stroke risks, researchers find

September 03, 2008

New study results further underscore scientists' warnings about the risks of stroke involved with giving elderly patients antipsychotic drugs.

CMS sets deadline of 2013 for installation of nursing home sprinkler systems

August 14, 2008

Long-term care facilities have exactly five years to fully equip their facilities with automatic sprinkler systems, according to a final rule published Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Study: Falling like 'parachutist' lowers seniors' hip fracture odds by 70%

July 09, 2008

If falling seniors tumble like a landing skydiver-and do it promptly-they can reduce their likelihood of a hip fracture by 70%, University of Michigan researchers say.

Researchers: Nursing home residents attacking each other more often than expected

June 04, 2008

Nursing home residents are lashing out at each other verbally, physically and in other ways more often than previously believed, according to Cornell University-based researchers.

House measure would outlaw nursing home arbitration clauses

May 23, 2008

Nursing home operators would be unable to subject residents and prospective residents to binding arbitration clauses under a bill introduced Thursday afternoon in the U.S. House. When a companion bill was introduced in the Senate in April, consumer groups enthusiastically praised it and provider advocates roundly criticized it.

Study: Nursing home residents with dementia receive less pain medication

May 02, 2008

Residents with Alzheimer's and dementia in nursing homes are receiving fewer pain medications than other residents, despite having as many painful, co-morbid conditions, such as cancer and osteoarthritis, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina.

An imperfect world calls for an increase in risk management

John Andrews May 01, 2008

Falls and medication errors can lead to big problems. That is why providers need to be extra vigilant about prevention.

Study: Falls, sores unaffected by nurse-patient ratio

March 25, 2008

The preliminary findings of a study on the effect of increased nurse-to-patient ratio laws in California hospitals has shown mixed results - and met with some serious criticism from providers.

Pain-relief patch available

January 30, 2008

Alpharma has announced the availability of the Fletcor Patch. The adhesive patch delivers medication directly to the pain site, offering a safe and effective alternative to widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to the firm.

Tech toys

January 30, 2008

The nation's top lawmakers are learning more about new monitoring, personal health record and brain fitness technologies for seniors during a special briefing and demonstration today.Senators from the Special Committee on Aging; the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and the Medical Technology Caucus are hosting the event to discuss and explore what type of support is needed to promote technological advances that can help our nation's aging population.

Wrist action

January 30, 2008

The new CodeWatch transmitter from RF Technologies gives residents wristwatch-like comfort. The small, lightweight device feels familiar and comfortable, which helps put residents at ease.

It's about time

January 30, 2008

Staying on top of the latest products, services and industry trends can be a time-devouring pursuit. But the job just became less time consuming, thanks to our new Web site. Eldercare pros can find many time-saving options. These include a substantially enhanced Directory that makes it easier to locate needed services, plus videos of important suppliers. The latest job openings are also available, as well as immediate access to our Career Guide. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our new site. We think you'll find it's time well spent.