According to the Five-Star Quality Rating System for nursing homes, many North Carolina facilities aren’t doing so well. The News & Observer reports that North Carolina ranks among the the 11 states with the lowest scores. Of the 416 nursing homes in North Carolina, 41 percent have a low quality score of 1 or 2 on […]
Poor Ratings for NC Nursing Homes Read More »
Think you or your loved ones are “too smart” to get scammed? Think again. Here’s a post from one of our attorneys: “My elderly father was the victim of a particularly nefarious phone scam, run by an international crime group through a Jamaican call center. They prey on the frail elderly and convince them
Phone Scams Target the Elderly Read More »
The 2012-2013 flu season is turning out to be one of the worst and most dangerous in years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, as of this week, most of the country is experiencing high levels of influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI). Nationwide, 47 states report widespread geographic flu activity. Since
Flu Hurts Nursing Homes Residents in More Ways than Illness Read More »
Over the past three years, I have written several blogs about preventing falls in the home. (The most recent blog was posted on September 20, 2012, to honor National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. To read that blog, click here: National Falls Prevention Awareness Day). After years of researching information for Health & Safety blogs, I
"My Mother’s Head Is So Hard…": First-Hand Lessons From a Fall Read More »
This week—May 13 to 19—is National Nursing Home Week. The theme for 2012 is “Celebrating the Journey,” which reminds us all to recognize and honor the lives and milestones of the older adults in our lives. According to the American Health Care Association (AHCA): Celebrating the Journey reminds us that every life should be honored,
This Week is About "Celebrating the Journey" Read More »
For older adults, falls are a major health problem: Falls are the leading cause of brain injury among seniors, and are linked to a risk of death due to complications from hip fractures. If we could find a way to prevent falls, it would prevent a lot of pain, suffering, early death, and medical costs.
Hearing Loss Linked to Risk of Falling Read More »
North Carolina is notorious for its wild daily temperature swings. You might start the day needing long sleeves and long pants, change to shorts by lunchtime, then put on a jacket after sunset. For most of us, this is nothing more than a minor sartorial inconvenience; but for people over age 65, temperature swings can
Temperature Swings May Put Elderly at Risk Read More »
In keeping with our on-going series, today’s blog is about nursing home tragedy. We collect stories from around the world to remind everyone that the elderly are vulnerable to abusers and unscrupulous care facilities. If there is a lesson to be taken from these stories, it is that friends and family of nursing home residents
Cautionary Tales from Nursing Homes Read More »
As the saying goes, you cannot fully understand what another person’s life is like until you “walk a mile in their shoes.” That’s the point behind an innovative training program designed to help caregivers truly appreciate what life is like for their loved ones with dementia. According to an article on GoErie.com, a division of
Dementia Training for Caregivers Read More »
If your loved one has become bedridden due to illness or infirmity, it is important to take steps to prevent bedsores, also known as “pressure ulcers,” which are areas of broken skin caused by the pressure of lying in one spot too long without moving. Bedsores themselves cause pain, but worse than that, if left
Preventing Bedsores Read More »