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Nursing homes need to put residents' health and safety first One of a nursing home's most important responsibilities is making sure residents take all their medications as prescribed. Nursing home residents often have complex health issues that require multiple medications to manage effectively. That's why nursing home staff must follow the "five rights" of medication...

Malnutrition and dehydration are common problems in nursing homes across Alabama Dehydration is among the top 5 preventable disorders that kill people in nursing homes and extended care facilities, according to the Alabama Department of Mental Health. However, the problem is likely larger than the numbers demonstrate. Cases of nursing home malnutrition and dehydration are...

Residents of nursing homes who suffer from dementia or other cognitive impairments can pose a risk to themselves and others if they aren't properly supervised. One of the primary dangers nursing home residents face is the tendency to wander or elope from the facility, which can be especially dangerous during cold weather. According to the...

Learn the warning signs of financial exploitation and how an attorney can help if you suspect abuse. Residents of nursing homes are vulnerable to different types of abuse – including physical, verbal, and sexual. But another type of nursing home abuse that often doesn’t receive as much attention is financial abuse or exploitation. State law...

Staffing problems frequently lead to nursing home abuse and neglect. For decades, nursing homes throughout the United States have faced a shortage of front-line nurses and nursing staff, which many have linked to nursing home neglect that led to serious health complications for residents. Now, the Biden administration is planning to announce a federal minimum...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the poorest-performing nursing homes in the country will now face tougher federal penalties for future violations of regulations designed to protect the health and safety of residents. The announcement affects 88 nursing home facilities throughout the country that have been designated a “special focus...

Stand up for your loved one's dignity and independence We trust nursing homes not just to care for our loved ones' basic needs but also to respect their dignity and maximize their remaining quality of life. Unfortunately, for some families in Alabama, that's not what happens. Too often, nursing homes make use of unlawful or...

Victims of nursing facilities that value profits over people deserve accountability and justice. When it comes to avoiding nursing home abuse and neglect, ownership matters—a lot. According to University of Pennsylvania research, nursing homes owned by investment firms are more lethal to residents than normal facilities. "Going to a private equity-owned nursing home increased individuals'...

Nursing home abuse happens far more often than you might realize. For instance, an estimated 5 million older Americans are abused every single year, according to statistics compiled by the National Council On Aging. However, another study found that 25 percent of nursing home abuse cases are never reported to local, state, or federal authorities....

Facilities need enough staff to provide high-quality services. Labor shortages are affecting many industries in Alabama and throughout the country, but few have been hit as hard as the nursing home industry. As AARP noted in an article on the staffing crisis, U.S. nursing homes have lost roughly 15 percent of their workforce since March...